Former India captain Ajay Jadeja has backed Ben Stokes’ decision to retire from international cricket, saying the England all-rounder had made the “right decision” and suggesting the decision reflected his unwillingness to let people outside the dressing room dictate how he should live his life. Stokes announced his retirement after one of the most decorated careers in English cricket, bringing the curtain down on a journey that included match-winning performances in the 2019 ODI World Cup final, the memorable Headingley Ashes Test later that year and several other memorable moments across formats. Reacting to the post on Sony Sports, Jadeja said he admires Stokes for standing by his principles. “I think he’s made the right decision and I’ll take it a step further. Especially when the captain of a country’s cricket team is told what he can do in the evening and what he can’t do, there are some people who can handle that, but geniuses like him won’t be ruled by people off the field.” Jadeja added that he understood that such instructions came from the team set-up but not from the administrators. “If there are people in the dressing room who want you to do something, that’s a different story. But when people run the game and try to tell you how to live your life and what to do, I’m very happy. I’m not happy that he’s going to retire and we’re not going to see him play, but here’s a man who said, ‘OK, that’s it.’ He was a controversial man. He played controversially.” Stokes’ retirement comes less than three weeks after he was involved in an off-field controversy following England’s first Test win against New Zealand. Stokes and Gus Atkinson broke the team’s midnight curfew and were said to have been present during an incident at a London nightclub involving a member of ECB security staff and a Saracens rugby player. The ECB subsequently suspended both players for the second Test while an investigation by the Cricket Regulatory Authority, s Joe Root coming in as reserve captain. However, the Regulator of Cricket later found insufficient evidence to establish any breach of the ECB’s cricket regulations and cleared both players. The ECB also stated that no player should be blamed for the violent incident, confirming that Stokes was not involved in or witnessed the altercation, while Atkinson was the victim of unprovoked attacks and did not fight back. Former India batsman Sanjay Manjrekarmeanwhile, he admitted he was saddened by Stokes’ retirement, describing it as the end of an era. “It’s depressing for me with two retirements of two all-time greats, Kane Williamson and Ben Stokes, as well as the surprising timing of his retirement.” Manjrekar said Stokes’ greatness can never be measured by numbers alone. “Ben Stokes, I argued that this is not a guy who will average 50 or 600 wickets, but he has had that unique ability to show greatness on the big stage and almost single-handedly win matches for his country, be it Tests, ODIs or T20Is.” He believes quality will define Stokes’ place in cricket history. “That’s the legacy he’s going to leave, and I feel very unhappy. The people we adore and love to watch, we won’t see them again.” One of England’s greatest all-rounders, Stokes played a key role in some of the country’s biggest triumphs, including an unbeaten 84 in the 2019 ODI World Cup final against New Zealand, his remarkable 135 not out at Headingley during the Ashes later that summer and his career-best Test score of 258 against South Africa in Cape Town in 2016.
