LONDON: England’s World Cup winner Moeen Ali has retired from international cricket and the 37-year-old insisted: “I did my part.”
Speaking to Britain’s Daily Mail, the spin-bowling all-rounder said he made the decision after being overlooked for England’s upcoming white-ball series against arch-rivals Australia.
“I am 37 years old and I have not been selected for this month’s Australia series,” Ali told the newspaper. “I played a lot of cricket for England. It’s time for the next generation, which was also explained to me.
“I felt the time was right. I did my part.” Matthew Mott was sacked as England’s limited-overs head coach in July after dismal title defenses in the One-Day International (ODI) and World Twenty20 (T20) series.
And another change came when Ali and Jonny Bairstow, who have played over 400 England caps between them, were left out of the squad for this year’s T20s and ODIs against Australia. Ali, one of the first openly Muslim cricketers to represent England, was already calling time on his red ball international career but said he could extend his stint in the national team, which has seen him appear in 68 Tests, 138 ODIs and 92 T20.
But he explained that he was “trying to be realistic” about his international future, saying: “I could hang on and try to play for England again, but I know I won’t really. After making a name for himself as a batsman, Ali said he was “particularly” proud of taking 204 Test wickets, adding: “I am also proud to have scored five Test hundreds.
As for his future, Ali said he plans to continue playing franchise cricket but would like to stay involved with the game as a coach after that. “Training is something I want to do – I want to be one of the best,” he said.
