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 other memorable moments across the format. Reacting to Sony Sports’ announcement, Jadeja said he admired Stokes for standing by his principles. “I think he made the right call, and I will go one step further. Especially for a country in the cricket team captain who is told what he can do at night and what he cannot do, there are some people who can do it, but geniuses like him do not rule over people who are not on the field. Jadeja added that he would have understood if such instructions came from within the team setup, but not from the administrators. “If there are people in the dressing room who want you to do it, that’s a different story. But if the people running the game try and tell you how to live your life and what to do, I’m very happy. He’s a controversial person. He plays controversially.” Stokes’ retirement comes less than three weeks after he was embroiled in off-field controversy following England’s first Test win over New Zealand. Stokes and Gus Atkinson broke the team’s midnight curfew and were reportedly present during an incident at a London nightclub involving an ECB security staff member and a Saracens rugby player. The ECB later made the two players unavailable for the second Test while an investigation by the Cricket Regulator was carried out, with: Joe Root: came in as stand-in captain. However, the Cricket Regulator later found insufficient evidence to establish any breach of the ECB Cricket Regulations and dismissed both players. The ECB also stated that no blame should be attached to any player in the violent incident, confirming that Stokes was not involved or witnessed the dispute, while Atkinson was the victim of unprovoked attacks and did not retaliate. Former India batter Sanjay Manjrekaron the other hand, admitted that he was saddened by Stokes’ retirement, describing it as the end of an era. “It’s sad for me to count the two retirements of two all-time greats, Kane Williamson and Ben Stokes, and the strange timing of the retirement too.” Manjrekar said that Stokes’ greatness cannot be measured by numbers alone. “Ben Stokes, I maintain that this is not the man who will average 50 or take 600 wickets, but he has this unique ability to create fame on the big stage and almost single-handedly win games for his country, be it Tests, ODIs or T20Is.” He believes that 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 worship and love to see, we will never see them again.” One of England’s greatest all-rounders, Stokes played roles in some of the country’s biggest triumphs, including his unbeaten 84 in the 2019 ODI World Cup final against New Zealand, his incredible 135 not out at Headingley during the Ashes last summer, and his career-best Test score of 258 against South Africa at the Cape in 2016.