England all-rounder Moeen Ali has on Friday (May 8) made an honest revelation about his cricketing age, saying he has only “two or three more years” left of playing top-level cricket.
As his international career is running out, the off-spinner wants to make the most of the time in the international arena and wants to play as much as possible across all three formats of the game.
The all-rounder had taken a bit of a break earlier but he is now keen to return to the fold in all three formats. However, he returned to the white-ball set-up during the South Africa series but is yet to seen in whites having not played Tests since he was dropped for the second Ashes Test in August 2019.
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Well, the 32-year-old, who has played 60 Tests, 102 one-day internationals and 28 T20Is for England so far, is now eager to resume his Test career once cricket resumes after the ongoing global coronavirus pandemic that has halted the sports world.
Moeen said on the Doosra Podcast, “Since the whole pandemic thing I want to play as much as I can. Cricket at the highest level will probably finish for me in two or three years.”
He all-rounder further added, “I want to make the most of it and play as much as I can. I only did it [stepped away from international cricket] for a bit of a break, and I've had that now.”
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On being asked about being a role model for future BAME (Black, Asian and minority ethnic) cricketers, the 2019 World Cup winner said: “Hopefully I've inspired younger people from all faiths. No matter what color they are or where they're from, or what school they went to, hopefully, we've broken those barriers and they can think they can play for cricket for England.”
He added, “Having spent so much time with the guys in the changing rooms now, them getting to know me and me getting to know them, they don't see me as Moeen the Asian background Muslim guy with the beard. They see me as a normal person who they get on well with.”
Recalling the historical moment of lifting the ICC World Cup trophy last year at Lord’s, Moeen said: “It was an amazing time. I think the whole emotion of four years build up to it and so much went into it... so much pressure for us to win it at home.”
He signed off by saying, “It took us a couple of seconds to think we have won the game (final). I wasn’t playing the game but it didn’t feel like I wasn’t playing. I can’t describe the feeling but just to see all the guys celebrating and to be part of that journey was simply unbelievable.”
(With BBC Inputs)
