Moeen Ali has announced his retirement from international cricket, with the 37-year-old declaring: “I’ve done my part.”
In an interview with the Daily Mail, the spin bowling all-rounder said the decision comes after he was overlooked for England’s forthcoming white-ball series against Australia.
He told the newspaper: “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.”
Matthew Mott was sacked as head coach of the limited-overs side in July after disappointing title defences in the ODI and T20 World Cups, and the appetite for change continued with the removal of Moeen and Jonny Bairstow – two senior men sharing over 400 caps.
Moeen was an influential vice-captain to Jos Buttler in recent times but after 68 Tests, 138 ODIs and 92 T20s for England, Moeen said he was “trying to be realistic” about his international future.
“I could hold on and try to play for England again, but I know in reality I won’t,” he said. “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. It’s about being real to myself.”
Reflecting on his international career, Moeen said he was “especially” proud of taking 204 Test wickets, adding: “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.”
Looking ahead, Moeen said he wants to continue playing franchise cricket, but ultimately hopes to delve into coaching.
“Coaching is something I want to do – I want to be one of the best,” he said. “I can learn a lot from [the England head coach Brendon McCullum]. I hope people remember me as a free spirit. I played some nice shots and some bad shots, but hopefully people enjoyed watching me.”
The former England captain Sir Alastair Cook described Moeen as “probably the most selfless player to play for England”. Cook told BBC Test Match Special: “He would do anything the team required, probably to the hindrance of his career – he batted from one to eight. He was one of the great teammates.”
