Veteran England all-rounder Moeen Ali has been honored with an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for his services to the game of cricket in the Queen’s Birthday Honours.
England’s World Cup and Ashes-winning all-rounder is one of those who are honored for their services in different areas as part of the Queen's birthday honors. After being named an OBE, Moeen said the OBE was a proud moment for his father Munir and mother Maqsood also.
Notably, the 34-year-old all-rounder has made 225 appearances for England in all three formats of the game during his 16-year-long career. However, Moeen has insisted his recognition in the Queen’s Birthday Honors List is a reflection of far more than the runs and wickets he has taken for England.
Moeen Ali stated: “It’s an honor to be recognized, it’s amazing and my family is really proud and happy. More than anything, I know it makes my parents happy. It’s not about runs and wickets. I think it’s more about the journey I’ve been through and all that kind of stuff, I guess. It’s my background, my upbringing and all that. All those kinds of things I’ve been through throughout my life.”
The all-rounder said that he is not happy with the terms "role model" or "ambassador" for Britain’s Asian population, as he knows what he has to do as a sportsperson.
Moeen further explained, “From the word ‘go’, as soon as I played for England, people labeled me as being a potential role model or role model. It is a big responsibility…But as time has gone on, you kind of accept it and deal with it a lot better. You have to accept it and realize you are probably a role model even though you don’t like saying it too much.”
He signed off by saying, “You do inspire a lot of people, especially from the inner city and the people that can relate to you. I don’t like that term role model, to a certain extent, but I know my role and what I need to do.”
(With AFP Inputs)
