Veteran England all-rounder Moeen Ali has announced his immediate retirement from international cricket after not being selected for the home series against Australia. He believes it is time for England to transition to a new generation of players.
Just prior to the 2023 Ashes series on home soil, he had reversed a decision made in September 2021 to retire from Test matches. In the fifth Test, Moeen took three important wickets during the fourth innings, which helped draw the series for England.
Although Moeen believes he could still perform at his peak, he spoke to The Daily Mail stating “I think it’s time for me to quit”.
“I’ve played a lot of cricket for England. It just felt the time was right. I’ve done my part. Playing for England were the best days of my life,” he said.
“I could hold on and try to play for England again, but I know in reality I won’t. Even retiring, I don’t feel it’s because I’m not good enough – I still feel I can play. But I get how things are, and the team needs to evolve into another cycle.”
England’s T20 World Cup squad included him in 2024 along with last year’s 50-over tournament as well. However, he was unable to make any significant impact with bat or ball as England failed to keep hold of their titles.
“Coaching is something I am interested in pursuing”- Moeen Ali
The 37-year-old has committed to continuing with franchise cricket for some time before potentially transitioning into coaching. He also expressed a desire to be remembered as a ‘free spirit’.
“A bit of franchise cricket, because I still love playing. But coaching is something I want to do — I want to be one of the best. I can learn a lot from Baz. And I hope people remember me as a free spirit. I played some nice shots and some bad shots, but hopefully people enjoyed watching me,” Ali said in the aforementioned interview.
The left-handed batter will be available to play for the Guyana Amazon Warriors in the current Caribbean Premier League (CPL) 2024 season.
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