Moeen Ali called time on his international career at the end of the T20 World Cup last year.
Former England all-rounder Moeen Ali offered a blunt take as to why ageing Indian cricket stars must contemplate where they stand.
While Virat Kohli has dodged the bullet after his brilliant display in the Champions Trophy and the IPL, the likes of Rohit Sharma and MS Dhoni’s future continues to be the hot topic of debate.
Dhoni, at 43, is well past his prime, and it's evident in his batting for CSK in the ongoing IPL. On the other hand, Rohit is struggling for runs after his half-century in the Champions Trophy final, with scores of 0, 8, 13 and 17 for the Mumbai Indians.
In fact, Rohit had dismissed the talks of retirement from ODIs and Tests after leading India to the Champions Trophy triumph last month.
In an exclusive chat with The Indian Express, Moeen said that the veterans, especially those at the other end of their 30s, should take stock of where they stand and what they offer to the team.
"I definitely think you shouldn’t just hold on because you’re a big name or you have a massive following. And it should never be your own personal goals. Don't just hold on for the sake of holding on in a selfish way. Just be a bit more realistic and think, is it worth me holding on? Have I got more to give to the team? If the team wants to go in a new direction, I think you should allow that to happen," Moeen stated.
"If you're not performing and you're at that age where you're a bit older and there’s younger players coming through and they're probably playing better than you right now. It doesn't mean they're better than you now, but they’re playing better than you. Then you should be a bit more realistic and honest with yourself," he added.
Moeen Ali called time on his international career at the end of the T20 World Cup last year but continues to ply his trade in franchise leagues across the globe.
Currently representing KKR in the IPL 2025, Moeen opined that league cricket is an entirely different ball game. He feels that making the 'call' in international cricket is way harder than franchise.
"Franchisee cricket is one thing, which is like a privately owned enterprise. You can continue playing if the franchisee is fine with it. And it is a T20. But when you’re representing a country, be it a Test or an ODI, the self-reflection should be harder. If England was a franchise, I would have carried on playing because I know I am capable. But because it's England and it's international cricket, and there is always a bigger group of players to pick from, I retired to make way," he remarked.