Moeen closes the door on a return to England’s Test squad
Following having an “honest” discussion with coach Brendon McCullum, England all-rounder Moeen Ali said that he has ruled out a comeback to test cricket.
Moeen made his test debut in 2014 and went on to amass 2,914 runs in 64 matches at an average of 28.29 while capturing 195 wickets.
In September of last year, the 35-year-old declared his retirement from the longest version of the game, but in June he revealed that McCullum had approached him about a possible red-ball comeback.
In December, the England test team will play a three-match series against Pakistan in Rawalpindi, Multan, and Karachi, however, Moeen has said that he would not be there.
“I’ve had an honest chat with Baz (McCullum) and I can’t see myself being stuck in hotels for another month and playing to the best of my ability,” Moeen wrote in his column for the Daily Mail on Monday.
“Baz phoned me, we spoke at length and I said, ‘Sorry, I’m done’. He understands, he knows the feeling. Test cricket is hard work. I’m 35 and something’s got to give.
“I want to enjoy my cricket and it wouldn’t be fair to reverse my decision and then struggle to give it my all. It’s time to close the door on that side of my career. To play 64 tests for England has been a privilege and a dream fulfilled.”
Moeen led England’s T20 squad in their 4-3 series triumph over Pakistan in the absence of Jos Buttler. He will be a vital role in this month’s T20 World Cup in Australia.
