Ben Stokes, England’s hero at Lord’s in the 2019 World Cup final, has retired from One-Day Internationals.
But that’s not news anymore. Rather, the discussion that ensued from it is. Has the cricket calendar really become that hectic? And if so, when would some listen to the ringing alarm bells?
Yes, it has become very hectic. Elite cricketers, especially all-format ones, now have to play an insane number of matches across formats.
Add franchise-based T20 leagues, domestic cricket, training, and recovery - this all makes it impossible for them to stay fresh and top of their game.
Stokes himself mentioned that before his last ODI for England.
“The schedule and everything that's expected of us, for me personally feels unsustainable. This England shirt deserves 100 per cent from whoever wears it and I didn't like the feeling of not being able to contribute in the way I wanted. Now being the captain of the Test team and how much cricket is coming up, I have to look after my body because I want to play as long as I possibly can,” he said.
Even former England skipper Nasser Hussain came out and asked ICC to take a look at the calendar and see how overbearing it has become.
While that is the case in one country, in another, that’s singing to deaf ears.
Bangladesh have had the case of players not retiring in time, especially because they do not have the understanding of when their watch has actually ended.
They rather try to drag it like an elastic band, and like the famous dialogue from ‘The Dark Knight,’ they don’t die as heroes, but rather become the villain.
It was the case for Mashrafe Mortaza, Bangladesh’s most successful captain to date, and it’s the same in the case of Mahmudullah Riyad, and at some point, Mushfiqur Rahim.
Mahmudullah, who is the current T20I skipper, has been out of touch with the bat for quite some time, and his captaincy has been nothing but uninspiring since the T20 World Cup 2021. He is already 37, which is visible in his efforts on the field, epitomised by regular misfields and catch drops.
Yet, despite all those criticisms from the fans and even from certain board members, Mahmudullah is yet to announce anything as he looks hellbent on playing that T20 World Cup later this year.
Mushfiq, who has rarely produced a good T20 knock in recent times, has not come forward and said that he would be willing to give up the shortest format to focus on Tests where Bangladesh need him the most.
Even Tamim Iqbal took almost a year and a half to figure out what to do about the 20-over format and finally decided to hang up his gloves.
Stokes’ retirement would probably serve as a great example of when to leave and why to leave. The English all-rounder would have easily been picked for the next 2-3 years, barring injuries. And he would definitely be playing in that ODI World Cup next year.
But he showed the guts to give it all up because he believed he was not capable of giving his all in that format. Because he took the liberty of understanding where he needed to focus his energy.
Bangladesh probably do not need Mahmudullah anymore, and he is only ruining the space for either Yasir Ali Chowdhury, Afif Hossain, or Nurul Hasan Sohan. And that reality check is yet to arrive.
The Tigers clearly need Mushfiq more in Tests and ODIs, but that hasn’t led to him calling it a day for T20Is.
So, while Stokes’ untimely retirement is a wake-up call, it is of no use in some parts of the world. And that part wears red and green on the field.
