England all-round cricketer Moeen Ali whose name did not feature in the list of players offered a central contract in Test matches has now decided to take an indefinite break from all forms of red-ball cricket.
However, Ali found himself in the white ball contract which suggests he is being viewed as a vital asset in limited-overs cricket in the England ODI set up.
The announcement, in effect, means that Ali will not be available for selection for England’s forthcoming tour to New Zealand post the Ashes Series.
“I do feel I need a break from the longer format but not a massive one. We will see what happens after the New Zealand series. This could be just what I need,” Moeen was quoted as saying by The Guardian
“It’s disappointing to miss out on a central contract but I’m also pretty chilled about it. Cricket has never been about the money for me. I have always relied on my faith and believe that everything will work out fine,” he added.
Meanwhile, director of England Cricket, Ashley Giles, was all in praise for Moeen Ali and stated that he had, in fact, urged Moeen to not retire but to take a short break from Test Cricket to have that option open to make a comeback.
“He’s been a great servant to this team and that’s why I encouraged him to leave that option open for him to come back,” Giles told reporters.
“He might just need that time away and freshen up but he’s been a really good servant to this team and he’s relatively young,” he added.
The 32-year-old was a regular starter for England in all forms of the game but is having a difficult season this time around. He was initially dropped from the One-Day side and then eventually lost his place in the test team as well.