All-rounder Moeen Ali has announced his retirement from international cricket amidst the ongoing Test series between England and Sri Lanka. His decision to retire comes just before England's upcoming high-profile series against their long-time rivals, Australia.
Moeen was overlooked by the selectors for England's white-ball squads in the upcoming home series against Australia. Despite his previous retirements from Test cricket, Moeen had continued to contribute in ODI and T20 formats.
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However, not being included in the team for the Australia series seems to have influenced his final decision to step away from international cricket altogether.
Across all formats, Moeen Ali had a remarkable international cricket career for England, with his all-rounder skills making him a vital asset to the team.
In an interview with former England cricketer Nasser Hussain for Daily Mail, Moeen described playing for England as the best days of his life. He expressed his desire to see the team progress with younger players, indicating that it was time for England to move forward without him.
He explained: "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."
Moeen Ali's international career
Moeen Ali played 68 Test matches for England, where he took 204 wickets and scored 3,094 runs, making great contributions as an all-rounder. In 138 ODIs, hescored 2,355 runs and took 111 wickets, cementing his place as a key player in England's white-ball setup. In 92 T20 matches, Moeen scored 1,229 runs and bagged 51 wickets, making a significant impact in the shortest format.