"Playing for England were the best days of my life" - Moeen Ali announces retirement from international cricket
Veteran England all-rounder Moeen Ali has announced his international retirement with immediate effect after failing to make the squad for the home series against Australia. The spin-bowling all-rounder feels it's time for England to move towards a new generation of players.
The 37-year-old had announced his Test retirement in September 2021, but reversed it ahead of the 2023 Ashes series on home soil. Moeen played a huge role in helping England draw the series, notably taking three vital scalps in the fourth innings of the fifth Test.
Speaking to The Daily Mail, Moeen said it was the right time to step away, although he feels he is still good enough to play at the highest level.
"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."
The Warwickshire all-rounder was part of England's T20 World Cup campaign in 2024 and the 50-over tournament last year. However, he couldn't do anything substantial with the bat or ball as England failed to retain their titles.
"Coaching is something I want to do" - Moeen Ali
The 37-year-old has vowed to keep playing franchise cricket for a while before possibly getting into coaching. He also said he would like 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. 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 for the Guyana Amazon Warriors in the ongoing Caribbean Premier League (CPL) 2024 season.