Joe Root paid an emotional tribute to close friend Ben Stokes after the England Test captain played his final ODI, calling him "an incredible player" and "an incredible bloke".
Stokes announced his retirement from the format ahead of the match, describing England's current schedule as "unsustainable". And Root delivered an emotional speech about Stokes' ODI career, with the all-rounder memorably playing the match winning innings in England's 2019 Cricket World Cup triumph.
In his speech, Root stated that Stokes had "captured a nation" with his on-field exploits and inspired children to "bat, bowl and field because of the way you have gone about it". In a video posted on social media by England, Root said: "I don't think anything I say will be able to sum up what I think of Ben.
