Moeen Ali bats away debate over faith or country

FOR Moeen Ali, who has just announced his retirement from international cricket at the age of 37, his faith was always more important than achievement in batting or bowling. It is fair to say he brought greater respect for Islam into the England dressing room.

A year after Moeen was picked for England in 2004, I went to see him in Birmingham. With his flowing beard he stood out as the Muslim in the side, but he reminded me more of the photographs of WG Grace, the Englishman who had dominated cricket a century earlier.

Moeen said he was proud to be the Muslim in the England side, which brought what many interpreted as an unpleasant rebuke from cricket commentator Michael Henderson in the Daily Telegraph.

“You’re playing for England, Moeen Ali, not your religion,” ran the headline to his article.

Henderson declared that “... if you are chosen to represent your country, that is who you represent. You may be a Hindu, a Sikh, a Muslim, a Buddhist, a Jain or (chance’d be a fine thing) a Christian, but that is not why you have been chosen. If Moeen Ali does not understand this matter, then perhaps Peter Moores, the England coach, can have a quiet word in his shell-like. And if Moores does not understand, he should not be the coach.”

Moeen’s view was rather different: “There was a time when I never really looked into Islam. I didn’t really agree with it because of the cultural side of things. But when I started reading about the Prophet Mohammad, peace be upon him, I realised that this was how human beings, true men, should live their lives.

“I love cricket and I give 100 per cent but at the end of a tough day I can tell myself it’s just a game, just my hobby really. My religion is more important. I just want to be the best person I can be. God won’t count how many hundreds I’ve scored or the five-fers I’ve taken.”

He has been forthright in expressing his views on such issues as Gaza.

As a cricketer he has left his mark, playing in 68 Tests, 138 ODIs and 92 T20Is for England. He has been England vicecaptain. He has scored five Test and three ODI centuries. He has also taken 204 Test wickets, along with 111 in ODIs and 51 in T20 cricket. He said he was retiring because it was “time for the next generation”.

His former captain, Sir Alastair Cook, said: “When I look at Mo, he is probably the most selfless player to play for England.”