"The brainfades often came from not having a role in the side" - Moeen Ali after announcing international retirement
Former England all-rounder Moeen Ali recently said his lack of consistency and rash shot-making stemmed from having no role clarity in the side. The 37-year-old announced his international retirement on Sunday, September 8, drawing the curtains on a decade-long England career.
Despite scoring five Test centuries in 68 games, Ali did not have a settled batting position, as he played everywhere from opening to No. 9. He endured a similar fate in white-ball cricket, batting from opening to No. 8.
While announcing his retirement during an interview with Nasser Hussain, Ali was quoted by the Wisden as saying:
"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. There were times I felt I left runs out there, or didn't do my batting justice. There were brainfades, but I enjoyed batting like that. They [the brainfades] often came from not having a role in the side."
He added:
"Also, I didn't have the discipline of a Joe Root. I tried to rectify that, but I just didn't have it: I was a go-with-the-flow player. There were times I did things I shouldn't have done. But it was almost exciting, as I'd wake up and think: I don't know what I'm going to get here."
Despite the inconsistencies in his role, Moeen Ali finished his international career with 6,678 runs and eight centuries in 298 appearances.
He also played an important role in England's 2019 ODI and 2022 T20 World Cup triumphs.
"I'm 37 years old and didn't get picked for this month's Australia series" - Moeen Ali
While announcing his retirement, Moeen Ali said the time was right to move on from international cricket and have the next generation of cricketers take over.
Apart from his batting credentials, the veteran all-rounder also picked up 366 wickets, including five 5-wicket hauls.
"I'm 37 years old and didn't get picked for this month's Australia series. 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 said in an Daily Mail interview (via ICC).
He continued:
"I'm very proud. When you first play for England, you don't know how many games you're going to play. So to play nearly 300…My first few years were all about Test cricket. Once Morgs [Eoin Morgan] took over the one-day stuff, that was more fun. But Test cricket was the proper cricket."
Moeen Ali's final appearance for England came during the 2024 T20 World Cup semi-final against India, which his side lost by 68 runs.