Active Cricketer · England

Moeen Ali

All-RounderLeft-hand batRight-arm offbreak

6,678 runs

— Career runs

England's match-winning all-rounder — a World Cup winner with both bat and ball, elegant strokeplay, and the off-spin to turn a Test match in a single session.

— Biography

Moeen's legacy

Born in Birmingham and raised in its cricketing heartland, Moeen Ali became one of England's most versatile and beloved match-winners — an elegant left-handed strokemaker and a craftsman off-spinner capable of turning a Test in a single session.

2002–2013
Age 15–26
Sparkhill roots, county craftsman
Born in Sparkhill, Birmingham, into a richly cricketing family, Moeen grew up on the same street as his cousin Kabir Ali, with brothers Kadeer and Omar also taking up the professional game. He signed for Warwickshire at just 15, made his first-class debut in 2005, and captained England Under-19s before moving to Worcestershire, where his elegant left-handed strokeplay and developing off-spin marked him out. The breakthrough came in 2013, when he amassed 1,375 first-class runs at an average of 62 — the most of any batsman in the country — and was crowned PCA Player of the Year, earning his place in England's plans.
2014–2015
Age 26–28
England arrival and Ashes glory
Moeen made his Test debut against Sri Lanka in June 2014 and announced himself with a defiant maiden century, then claimed a remarkable 6 for 67 against India to confirm his rare dual value as a graceful top-order batsman and a genuine spin-bowling force. The following summer he was central to England regaining the Ashes in 2015, scoring a vital 77 in the opening victory and chipping in with telling wickets through the series. He showed his white-ball range too, striking a brilliant 128 against Scotland at the 2015 World Cup.
2016–2017
Age 28–30
The Test match-winner
These were the years Moeen developed into one of England's most trusted all-rounders. Against South Africa in 2017 he produced the defining moment of his career — a hat-trick at The Oval to seal the match — the first by an England spinner in Test cricket since Tom Goddard in 1938. He finished that four-Test series with 25 wickets and 252 runs, the only player ever to manage such a double in a four-match series.
2018–2019
Age 30–32
World Cup champion
In 2018 Moeen captained Worcestershire's Rapids to their first-ever T20 Blast title and was picked up in the IPL, the beginning of a globe-spanning franchise career. The crowning glory arrived in July 2019, when he was part of the England side that won the 50-over World Cup for the first time, edging New Zealand in an unforgettable final at Lord's. By then he was a versatile match-winner trusted with bat and ball in every phase of the limited-overs game.
2020–2022
Age 32–35
Captain and T20 world champion
In September 2020 Moeen captained England in a T20I, becoming the first cricketer of Asian origin to lead the side since Nasser Hussain — and the first ever to captain England in T20s — a landmark moment for British-Asian and British-Muslim communities. He starred at the 2021 T20 World Cup and, in 2022, helped England lift the T20 World Cup in Australia to complete a rare white-ball double. In the same period he won the 2021 IPL with Chennai Super Kings, and in 2022 he was appointed OBE for services to cricket.
2023
Age 35
The Ashes return
Moeen had stepped away from Test cricket, but the 2023 Ashes brought him back when England needed a spinner. He returned with the same selfless quality that had defined much of his international career, accepting a demanding role because the team required it. The series became a final reminder of his range: elegant batting, useful off-spin, tactical intelligence and a willingness to serve the side even when the path was not simple.
2024
Age 37
International farewell
In September 2024 Moeen announced his retirement from international cricket, closing an England career that included the 2019 Cricket World Cup, the 2022 T20 World Cup, captaincy, an OBE for services to cricket, more than 6,600 international runs and 366 wickets. The tributes recognised more than output: he had been a visible British-Muslim England cricketer from Birmingham, a calm dressing-room presence, and an all-rounder whose influence often exceeded the scorecard.
2025–July 2026
Age 37–39
Current to July 2026: franchise craft and the next generation
Retirement from England did not mean retirement from cricket. Moeen remained active in franchise and county cricket, with commitments including Birmingham Phoenix, Yorkshire in the 2026 Vitality Blast and Karachi Kings in the Pakistan Super League. He also launched the Moeen Ali Cricket Academy in Cape Town, extending his story into coaching and opportunity. As of July 2026, the current chapter marks a move from national duty into selective playing, mentoring and access for young cricketers.

— In Frame

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— Honours & Records

2019

World Cup Champion

England's 50-over world title, won on home soil at Lord's.

2022

T20 World Cup Champion

England's title triumph in Australia.

2022

OBE

Appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire for services to cricket.

Career

A rare England double

204 Test wickets and more than 3,000 Test runs.

2017

Test hat-trick

The first by an England spinner in Test cricket since 1938.

2021 & 2023

Two-time IPL Champion

Title winner with Chennai Super Kings.

— In Their Words

What the game says about Moeen

“If you were to say who you want to play cricket with and have in your dressing room, Moeen Ali would be right at the top of the list.”
Jos Buttler
England white-ball captain