England all-rounder Moeen Ali has announced his retirement from international cricket. His decision comes after being left out of England’s squad for the upcoming white-ball series against Australia, which includes three T20s and five ODIs at home this month. The 37-year-old Moeen Ali has had an impressive international career, playing 68 Tests, 138 ODIs, and 92 T20 matches for England.
Moeen Ali He was an integral part of England’s World Cup-winning teams, lifting the ODI World Cup in 2019 and the T20 World Cup in 2022. Although he has retired from international cricket, Moeen plans to continue playing franchise cricket and is considering a future role in coaching. His international debut dates back to February 2014, marking a career that spanned a decade.
'I felt this was the right time'
In an interview with the 'Daily Mail', Moeen explained, “I’m 37 now, and after not being selected for the Australia series, I felt it was the right time to retire. I’ve played a lot of cricket for England, and now it’s time for the next generation to take over, as I was told. I’ve done my job, and I’m proud of it.”
Reflecting on his time with the national team, Moeen said, “I’m very proud to have represented England. When you first play for England, you don’t know how many matches you’ll get to play, so to have played nearly 300 matches is special. My early years were focused on Test cricket, but when Eoin Morgan took charge of the ODI team, it became even more enjoyable. But Test cricket remains the pinnacle of the sport.”
He added, “I’ve tried to be realistic. I could try to push for a place in the England team again, but I know I won’t. I still believe I can play, but I also understand that the team needs to enter a new phase. It’s important to be honest with yourself.”
Last international match against India
Moeen scored 6,678 runs for England across all formats, including eight centuries and 28 half-centuries, and took 366 wickets. His final international match was the T20 World Cup 2024 semi-final against India, where England lost to the Indian team.
Moeen Ali's international record:
68 Tests: 3,094 runs, 204 wickets 138 ODIs: 2,355 runs, 111 wickets 92 T20s: 1,229 runs, 51 wickets