Stokes on Monday announced a shock retirement from One Day Internationals, saying it has become “sustainable” for him to play in all three formats of the game.
He elaborated on his decision ahead of his 105th and final ODI which South Africa won by 62 runs.
“We are not cars,” the 31-year-old told the BBC Test Match Special.
“You can’t just fill us up and we’ll go there and be ready to refuel.
“We had a Test series and then the one-day team had a series going on at the same time – that was a little silly.”
Stokes, who took over as England’s Test captain in April, has been battling injuries in recent days and took a break from the game last year to focus on his mental wellbeing.
“I feel like there’s a lot more cricket for people to play in all three formats now. It’s a lot harder than it used to be,” said the England talisman.
“I look back when I used to do all three and didn’t feel like it was jam-packed and all that.”
The governing International Cricket Council seeks to stage a global event every year and the proliferation of franchise-based leagues has only added to the players’ workload.
“The more cricket that is played, the better for the game, but you want a product that is of the highest quality,” said Stokes, who was ruled out of this year’s Indian Premier League.
“You want the best players to play as much as they can all the time, and it’s not just me or us.
“You see it now around the world where teams have to rest certain players in a certain series so that they feel like they are getting a break.”
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