Moeen Ali has surprised the cricket fans by announcing his retirement from the longest format of the game at the age of 34. The England cricket team all-rounder recently returned to the England cricket team’s Test squad and played in the ICC World Test Championship series against the Indian cricket team at home.
So far in his Test career, Moeen has played 64 Test matches in his career for the England cricket team, where he has scored 2,914 runs in 111 innings, with his highest score being 155*. Ali has registered five Test hundreds and 14 half-centuries in whites. He has taken 40 catches while fielding for the England Test cricket team.
The off-spin bowling all-rounder rolled his arm over in 112 innings, picking up 195 wickets, including 13 four-wicket hauls, five five-wicket hauls and one ten-wicket match haul. Ali was successful as a bowler in the Test matches against the Indian cricket team during his career.
“There were a couple of milestones I wanted to pass – but once that game got called off, I realised that was it”- Moeen Ali
In an interview with ESPNCricinfo, Moeen Ali revealed that he was looking forward to playing for the England cricket team in the final Test match against the Indian cricket team at Old Trafford. However, the match did not happen. He pointed out that he had his eye on milestones, which could have been 3,000 runs and 200 wickets. But after the match got canceled, he decided to retire. The reason behind it was that he did not feel ‘he was in the zone for Tests.
“You try your best. I just found it really hard to get in the zone bowling, batting and in the field. And the more I tried, I just couldn’t do it. I felt like I was done, to be honest. I was hoping to play the last Test – there were a couple of milestones I wanted to pass – but once that game got called off, I realised that was it,” Moeen Ali said.
