Former India captain Ajay Jadeja has backed Ben Stokes’ decision to retire from international cricket, saying the England all-rounder made the “right call” 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 unforgettable Headingley Ashes Test later that year, and many other memorable moments across all formats. Reacting to the announcement on Sony Sports, Jadeja said he admired Stokes for sticking to his principles. “I believe he made the right call, and I will go one step further. Especially for the captain of the cricket team of a country to be told what he can do in the evening and what he cannot, there are many people who can take it, but geniuses like him should not be governed by people who are not on the field.” Jadeja added that he would have understood if such instructions had come from the team setup, but not from the managers. “If there are people along the way who want to do something, it’s a different story. But when the people who run the game try and tell you how to live your life and what to do, I’m very happy. I’m not happy that he will retire and we won’t see him play, but here is a man who said: “OK, this is it. He was a controversial man. I played controversial.” Stokes’ retirement came less than three weeks after he was involved in an off-field controversy following England’s win in the first Test against New Zealand. Stokes and Gus Atkinson broke the team’s midnight curfew and were present during an incident at a London nightclub involving a member of ECB security staff and a Saracens rugby player. The ECB later made both players unavailable for the second Test while an investigation by the Regulator of Cricket was conducted, with Joe Root step in as a stand-in captain. However, the Cricket Regulator later found insufficient evidence to establish any breach of the ECB’s Cricket Regulations and released both players. The ECB also stated that no blame should be attached to any player for the violent incident, confirming that Stokes was not involved or witnessed the altercation, while Atkinson was the victim of unprovoked attacks and did not retaliate. Old Indian ship Sanjay Manjrekarmeanwhile, he admitted he was saddened by Stokes’ retirement, describing it as the end of an era. “It’s depressing to me that two pensions of two all-time greats, Kane Williamson and Ben Stokes, as well as the surprising timing of the retirements.” Manjrekar said Stokes’ greatness could never be measured by numbers alone. “Ben Stokes, I argued that this is not the guy who will average 50 or get 600 wickets, but he has this unique ability to make greatness on the big stage and almost single-handedly win matches for his country, be it Tests, ODIs or T20Is.” I believe that quality will define Stokes’ place in cricket history. “This is the legacy he will 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 has played a defining role in some of the country’s greatest triumphs, including his unbeaten 84 in the 2019 ODI World Cup final against New Zealand, his extraordinary 135 not out at Headingley during the Ashes later this summer, and his career-best Test score of 2058 in South Africa in Cape Town.