New Delhi: After being left out of Englands white-ball squad for the upcoming series against Australia, Moeen Ali has officially announced his retirement from international cricket. The 37-year-old all-rounder, who last donned the England jersey during their semi-final defeat to India at the 2024 T20 World Cup in Guyana, shared the news in an interview with the Daily Mail.Moeen reflects on his decisionSpeaking about his retirement, Moeen said, Im 37 now and wasnt picked for the Australia series this month. Ive played a lot of cricket for England. Its time for the next generation, and that was explained to me as well. It felt like the right time to step away. Ive done my part.Moeen Ali has announced his retirement from international cricket.- Thank you, Mo! pic.twitter.com/qadSTAoNEz— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) September 8, 2024Moeens journey in international cricket began in 2014, making his white-ball debut during Englands tour of the West Indies. Over a decade-long career, he represented England in 138 ODIs and 92 T20Is. He also made his Test debut against Sri Lanka later that same year at Lords, going on to feature in 68 Tests. Across all formats, Moeen amassed 6,678 runs, including eight centuries and 28 half-centuries, while taking 366 wickets for England.Proud of his achievementsReflecting on his career, Moeen expressed pride in his accomplishments, saying, When you first play for England, you dont know how many games youll get. To play nearly 300 is something Im very proud of. My early years were focused on Test cricket, but once Morgs [Eoin Morgan] took over the one-day side, it was more fun. Test cricket, though, was always proper cricket for me.He added, I could have tried to hold on and play again, but I know the reality. The team needs to evolve, and its time for a new cycle. I still feel I could compete, but I understand where things are. Its about being real to myself.Future plans: Franchise cricket and coachingWhile stepping away from international duties, Moeen made it clear that he will continue to participate in franchise cricket. He is currently playing in the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) for the Guyana Amazon Warriors and has had stints with Chennai Super Kings in the IPL, Joburg Super Kings in the SA20, and Chittagong Vikings in the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL).Moeen also revealed his interest in coaching, stating, I still love playing franchise cricket, but coaching is something Im keen on. I want to learn from the best, like Baz (Brendon McCullum), and hopefully, I can make an impact as a coach one day. I hope people remember me as a free spirit who played with passion, whether good or bad.
