England all-rounder Moeen Ali retires from international cricket

Moeen, who last played for England in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024, was left out of the white ball series against Australia later this month.

File image of Moeen Ali during the ODI series between England and New Zealand at The Kia Oval on September 13, 2023 in London | Photo Credit: Shaun Botterill

England all-rounder Moeen Ali, who featured in 298 international matches, announced his retirement from international cricket on Sunday.

Moeen, who last played for England in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024, was left out of the white ball series against Australia later this month.

Moeen believed that the time was right for him after understanding that he was no longer in consideration for the side’s future assignments.

“I’m 37 years old and didn’t get picked for this month’s Australia series,” Moeen Ali said in an interview with former England captain Nasser Hussain in the  Daily Mail. “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.”

Moeen believed that his call was keeping in mind England’s needs, a team looking to rebuild ahead of their upcoming white-ball cycle which features the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 and the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026.

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Moeen made his international debut in 2014 against West Indies. He scored 6678 international runs and picked 366 wickets. He won the 2019 Cricket World Cup and 2022 T20 World Cup with the senior men’s side.

The 37-year-old finished with 204 Test scalps, making him the third-best England spinner in the format, sitting behind Derek Underwood (297) and Graeme Swann (255).