Why England’s all-rounder Moeen Ali decides to retire from Test cricket?

 

Photo Courtesy: ESPNcricinfo

According to a report on ESPNcricinfo, England's famed all-rounder Moeen Ali, 34, has chosen to retire from Test cricket and will formally declare his decision shortly.

Moeen Ali notified his team's head coach and captain of his decision in writing. He is likely to continue playing county and franchise cricket while also representing England in white-ball cricket.

He was uneasy about the idea of spending more time away from home in the coming months as a potential part of both the T20 World Cup and Ashes squads, according to the article.

photo Courtesy: AFP/Getty Images

Moeen Ali, 34, a 64-Test veteran, has concluded that he no longer has the desire to play the longest format. ESPNcricinfo believes he is concerned about the idea of spending a significant amount of time away from home in the coming months as a member of both the T20 World Cup and Ashes squads. He is presently in the UAE, playing in the IPL for Chennai Super Kings, but is said to have told England head coach Chris Silverwood and Test captain Joe Root in recent days.

he is eager to continue his white-ball cricket career with England, and he is also anticipated to play county and franchise cricket. Although it is doubtful that he will continue to play first-class cricket, no final decision has been made.

For years to come, people will be arguing the merits of Moeen's career. Some of the numbers are startling: he scored 2000 Test runs and took 100 wickets in fewer Tests than Ian Botham, Garry Sobers, and Imran Khan combined. There have only been 15 England bowlers with more Test wickets. He was ranked third best all-rounder in the ICC Test rankings at one stage.

But it's maybe fitting that he appears to be on track to finish just short of 3000 runs and 200 wickets. Because there was always something about Moeen that made you want more. Something that both thrilled and irritated me at the same time. The groan of despair could be heard throughout The Kia Oval even in what turned out to be his final Test when his skied slog-sweep saw him removed for 35.

Moeen had a strong desire to succeed, to see his exquisite cover drive unfolded once more. Perhaps the fragility of it all, the sensation that it could all cease at any time, added to its value.

When he was at his best, as when he hit four Test hundreds in 2016, he looked like a superb batter who was more than deserving of his spot in the squad as a specialist. However, there were occasions, sometimes for long periods of time, when confidence seemed to ebb away, and with it the scores. For someone so gifted, a final Test batting average of 28 seems low. That undefeated 108 in his second Test against Sri Lanka promised so much more.

When it comes to his bowling, a lot of the same things could be stated. At his best, he displayed the drift, dip, pace, and bite that would thrill any offspinner, such as when he took 25 wickets in four Tests against South Africa in 2017 or a total of 32 wickets in six Tests against Sri Lanka and the West Indies in the winter of 2018-19. Only Derek Underwood and Graeme Swann completed their careers with more wickets than England's spinners. Moeen's strike rate of 60.70 couldn't be matched by even Jim Laker.