After 68 Tests, 138 ODIs and 92 T20s for England, Moeen Ali has retired from international cricket.
Only two players have scored more runs and taken more wickets for England. Moeen has been a regular in all three formats for England for a number of years.
After missing out on selection for the upcoming Australian competition, he has decided to retire from his England duties and is now looking to the future.
Having relied on the all-rounder countless times, England and their management must now rely on the next generation to take their various teams further.
In an exclusive interview with Mail Sport, he speaks to NASSER HUSSAIN about his career and his decision to call it quits.
Moeen Ali has retired from international cricket after almost 300 appearances across all formats
Only two players have scored more runs and taken more wickets for England in their careers
Moeen speaks exclusively to Mail Sport’s Nasser Hussain (left) about his decision and career
Nasser Hussein: Let’s start at the beginning, Mo. Why now?
Mr Ali: I am 37 years old and I was not picked for this month’s Australia Series. I have played a lot of cricket for England. It is time for the next generation, which was explained to me. It felt like the time was right. I have done my part.
New Zealand: How proud are you of what you have achieved?
MA: I’m very proud. When you play for England for the first time, you don’t know how many games you’re going to play. So to play almost 300…
My first few years were all about Test cricket. When Morgs (Eoin Morgan) took over the one-day stuff, that was more fun. But Test cricket was the real cricket.
New Zealand: You started out as a talented young batsman. Were you surprised at how well the off-spin went, with 204 Test wickets?
MA: Yes, mainly the number of wickets. There were games where I struggled but I was able to stay in the side as a spinner, batting at number 7 or 8. I’m also proud of the fact that I’ve made five Test centuries. It’s only five but it means a lot, especially when I’ve often been at the bottom of the order. There were times when I felt like I was dropping runs or not doing my batting justice. There were brain fades but I enjoyed batting that way.
New Zealand: Were the brainfades because you were batting the entire order? And how frustrating were they?
MA: They often came from the fact that I didn’t have a role in the team. And I didn’t have the discipline of 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 when I did things I shouldn’t have done. But it was almost exciting, because I woke up and thought: I don’t know what I’m going to get here.
New Zealand: You were always a very honest cricketer. You don’t make excuses…
MA: Yes. Even now I’ve tried to be realistic. I could hold on and try to play for England again, but I know in reality I won’t. Even if I retire, I don’t feel like it’s because I’m not good enough – I still feel like I can play. But I understand where things are and the team has to evolve into a new cycle. It’s about being honest with myself.
Moeen admitted he was surprised at how his off-spin game developed after starting out as a batsman
He has said the England team needs to ‘evolve’ with the next generation, meaning he needs to step aside
New Zealand: Would you have improved if you had played more under Brendon McCullum and Ben Stokes?
MA: Definitely. I enjoyed it. There was a period, when I first stopped playing Tests in 2021, when I didn’t enjoy the way we were playing, or the way I was playing. It wasn’t that enjoyable. These guys just bring the fun. I was pretty even most of the time, but I didn’t always enjoy batting at No. 8. I felt like I was wasting my batting.
New Zealand: When did you start to feel like a Test match player?
MA: If I wasn’t batting well, I knew why, technically or mentally. My bowling, I never really understood it. I had a good year in 2018 when I thought I had it under control. But I knew I couldn’t hold an end, or get two in an over. My best ball could get anyone out, even Virat Kohli. That’s why I did well as a spinner.
New Zealand: What were your qualities as a white-ball cricketer?
MA: The fact that I could bat from opener down to seven. Not many can do that. I also offered off-spin, which is not very desirable. I didn’t thrive under pressure when we were chasing, but I felt I could take teams down.
New Zealand: Was Eoin Morgan the best captain you played under?
MA: No doubt about it. Morgs was amazing. I remember shortly after he became captain, I got caught on the boundary. I said to him, ‘I should have turned it down this one time.’ He said, ‘No, next time it’s going to be out of the ground.’ I thought, OK, this guy’s interesting. I’m terrible when someone tells you not to do this or that — I’ll do it anyway.
He was great at getting the best out of players. It was great to be part of that. That’s the sad thing about ending with England because I know those were the best days of my life.
The all-rounder described World Cup captain Eoin Morgan (right) as the best captain he has ever played under.
He played much of his career alongside Adil Rashid (right) – both players are British Asian and Muslim
New Zealand: You and your good mate Adil Rashid are both British Asians and Muslims. Did you enjoy being a role model?
MA: It’s something I never really thought about in the beginning. I was just playing. And then you think a bit more about who you represent. Kids look up to you for inspiration, in terms of changing mindsets in Asian families. Often it’s about becoming a doctor or something, but cricket is a great career. There’s a burden too, because you’re constantly being watched. But even if only a few people were inspired by us, we can be proud.
New Zealand: Does cricket still face challenges when it comes to integrating other communities, or are we moving forward into the future?
MA: We move on. The challenges are more personal and family. My dad always said to me, ‘If you’re good enough, you play. If you kick the door down and do well enough, they have to pick you.’ That’s the mindset we had. Even though I’m pretty laid back, I still have that determination to prove people wrong.
New Zealand: Your all-round stats are among the best. Do people forget how good Moeen Ali was as a cricketer?
MA: People forget the impact you make in games. It may have only been 20 or 30, but it was a crucial 20 or 30. For me, it was about making an impact. I know what I brought to the table, on and off the pitch. As long as I felt people enjoyed watching me play, whether I did well or not, I was happy with that.
New Zealand: What was your best moment?
MA: Winning the Ashes and two World Cups was great, but from an individual point of view it was my Test hat-trick against South Africa at the Oval that won us the game. And I’m proud to have the fastest T20 50 for England (16 balls against South Africa in 2022).
New Zealand: Is Brendon McCullum the right person to take the white-ball team further?
MA: 100 percent. It’s especially important for Jos Buttler, who needs the help that McCullum can give him. Jos has a lot on his plate — captain, keeper, our best batsman. McCullum can take that off him and let him enjoy it a bit more, because Jos can score quickly.
He scored over 3,000 Test runs for England in the longest format, last seen in the Ashes
Now he will play more franchise cricket before ending his playing career
New Zealand: People are wondering what the future of Test cricket will look like. What advice do you give to young players?
MA: Try to become a good red-ball player first, establish your base. If you only play white-ball cricket, you often don’t know what to fall back on. You need that base.
New Zealand: What does the future look like for you?
MA: 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 made some nice shots and some bad shots, but hopefully people enjoyed watching me.