Managing Director of England Men's Cricket Rob Key has admitted the schedule must become "more manageable" for players after Ben Stokes labelled it "unsustainable" when announcing his retirement from ODI cricket.
In his statement, Stokes said: "As hard as a decision as this was to come to, it's not as hard dealing with the fact I can't give my teammates 100% of myself in this format anymore. The England shirt deserves nothing less from anyone who wears it.
"Three formats are just unsustainable for me now. Not only do | feel that my body is letting me down because of the schedule and what is expected of us, but I also feel that I am taking the place of another player who can give Jos and the rest of the team their all.
And Key agrees with Stokes' assessment, with the ECB chief urging the ICC and the other cricket boards to get together and come up with a solution. Speaking to Sky Sports News, Key said: "What it really needs is all the boards, the ICC and everyone, to come up with something that's manageable.
"Actually come up with something so that everyone gets what you want out of it: the players, the boards, the broadcasters, so that we get something that's a bit more manageable. It's not going to be easy but that's what it needs."
Key also said he feels Stokes' decision is one that "England will benefit from in the long term". He added: "It may well end up having financial implications to Ben Stokes in terms of his contract.
"That's why it's a selfless decision, he could easily have said 'no, no, I'm the key' and kept getting picked in the 50-over team. But he wants to do the Test job as best as he can, he wants to take England's Test team forward.
"I was probably surprised at the timing but I'm not surprised that he's had to give one format away. I think it's a good decision from Ben that England will benefit from in the long term.
"Him bowling is actually the thing he wants to be able to do, he doesn't just want to go and be a batter, he wants to be able to contribute as an all-rounder. To do that he feels this is the best way. I'm hoping and I'm betting that this is what gets him up to 120-plus Test matches."
