'ECB banned me from T20s too': Kevin Pietersen recalls his early ODI retirement after Ben Stokes' announcement

Ben Stokes shocked the cricketing world with a surprise announcement on Monday (July 18) as the England Test captain confirmed he has decided to retire from ODI cricket. One of the best all-rounders in world cricket, Stokes said it was 'unsustainable' for him to continue playing all three formats of the game which led to the decision ofgiving up the fifty-over format.

Stokes was one of the vital cogs in England's ODI setup and his retirement has certainly come as a huge blow to the team ahead of the 202 ICC ODI World Cupnext year. He was one of the heroes of England's maiden ODI World Cup triumph in 2019 with stellar contributions from the bat and the ball.

Several cricket experts and former England cricketers have already expressed their disappointment over Stokes' decision to quit ODIs. Many, including the likes of former England captains Nasser Hussain and Michael Vaughan, have blamed the packed cricketing schedule for Stokes' retirement from ODIs.

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Recently, former England captain Kevin Pietersen also joined the bandwagon and took to Twitter to recall his decision of retiring early from ODI cricket in 2012. Like Stokes, Pietersen was also 31 at the time he decided to retire from the fifty-over format and said he had decided to quit due to the 'intensity of the international schedule'.

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Amid raging debate over the demanding cricketing schedule after Stokes' surprising decision, Pietersen recalled how he was not supported by the England Cricket Board (ECB) when he had told them he wanted to quit ODIs due to the schedule. ECB even banned Pietersen from T20s for retiring early from ODIs.

"I once said the schedule was horrendous and I couldn’t cope, so I retired from ODI cricket & the ECB banned me from T20s too," the former England captain tweeted on Tuesday.

Pietersen was also one of the first English players to go against the England Cricket Board for playing in the Indian Premier League (IPL). ECB had initially banned English players from taking part in the IPL but Pietersen went on to feature in the tournament despite their warning.

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The former England captain played 136 ODIs for the country, scoring 4,440 runs at an excellent average of over 40, including 9 centuries and 25 fifties. Meanwhile, Stokes is currently playing his final ODI for England against South Africa at his home ground -Riverside Ground, Chester-le-Street in Durham.