I Don't Think He Fancied Carrying The Drinks In Ashes - Moeen Ali's Father On His Son's Retirement
Moeen Ali’s father, Munir Ali, claimed that his son very likely announced retirement from Test cricket as he didn’t want to enter strict bio-bubbles in Australia just to carry the drinks. Moeen brought down the curtains on his Test career on Monday.
His father reckoned that he was unlikely to get a place in the starting XI in the upcoming Ashes series. And at the age of 34, carrying drinks doesn’t seem quite suitable and instead, he can focus on his white-ball career and the upcoming T20 World Cup.
“I would love him to have played in that final Test [against India] and got five more wickets and 86 more runs to be one of only 15 players to have achieved 3000 runs and 200 Test wickets. But the main reason for retiring is that Australian tour and being in a bubble, after being in a bubble all last year. At his age, I don’t think he fancied carrying the drink,” Munir said.
Munir felt that his son making it to the top level of international cricket was quite a surprise. Although he knows his son was extremely talented, it still came as a pleasant surprise.
“When he first started, I thought he was going to play a few games here and a few games there. I honestly didn’t think he would end up playing international cricket for eight years. I’m surprised but I’m not surprised because he was always very talented. I always knew that he had the talent. I think if he had been given that number five or number six role in the England Test line-up then he would have had even more success.”
“I don’t think there will be another Moeen Ali in 10 to 15 years”- Munir Ali
Moeen’s father further expressed his desire to see a lot more South Asians take up the sport and make it to the England national team. The 34-year-old all-rounder is one of the rareties who has set an example for the budding youngsters from Asian communities to work hard and earn their chance to play for England.
“I have to admit that I never saw that coming [on Moeen’s retirement]. I don’t think there will be another Moeen Ali in 10 to 15 years. But what he has shown is that you don’t have to be from a big school. He’s a Sparkhill boy and he has shown that if you work hard, there’s an opportunity for you. He showed the Asian community that if there’s a will there’s a way. There’s nothing stopping you providing you work hard and you have the talent,” Munir observed.
Moeen Ali’s illustrious Test career ended after playing 64 Tests. He scored 2914 runs at an average of 28.3 while claiming 195 wickets including a career-best figure of 6/53 in an innings.
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