LONDON: England’s celebrated spin-bowling all-rounder Moeen Ali has announced his retirement from international cricket, ending a distinguished career that saw him play a key role in England’s World Cup victories.
The 37-year-old made the announcement after being excluded from England’s squads for the upcoming white-ball series against Australia.
In an interview with the Daily Mail, Moeen Ali said that his exclusion from the Australia series was a significant factor. “I’m 37 years old and didn’t get picked for this month’s Australia series,” Ali said.
“I’ve played a lot of cricket for England. It’s time for the next generation, which was also explained to me. It felt the time was right. I’ve done my part.”
Ali’s retirement comes amid a period of transition for England’s limited-overs teams. In July, Matthew Mott was dismissed as head coach following disappointing title defenses in the One Day International (ODI) and Twenty20 (T20) World Cups.
Ali, who had previously retired from Test cricket, expressed that while he was still capable of contributing, he recognized the need for the team to evolve. “I could hold on and try to play for England again, but I know in reality I won’t,” he admitted.
“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. It’s about being real to myself.”
Throughout his career, Ali was known for his dynamic batting and effective spin bowling. He appeared in 68 Test matches, 138 ODIs, and 92 T20 internationals. He is particularly proud of his achievements in Test cricket, where he took 204 wickets and scored five centuries.
“I’m especially proud of taking 204 Test wickets,” Ali said. “I’m also proud of getting five Test hundreds. It’s only five, but it means a lot, especially when I was often down the order.”
Ali plans to continue his cricketing journey in the realm of franchise cricket. He also expressed a keen interest in coaching, aiming to learn from figures like England coach Brendon McCullum.
“Coaching is something I want to do — I want to be one of the best,” Ali said. “I can learn a lot from Brendon McCullum.”
“I hope people remember me as a free spirit. I played some nice shots and some bad shots, but hopefully people enjoyed watching me.”
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