Moeen Ali, a former England all-rounder, has shelved his plans to retire from domestic cricket and signed with Yorkshire for the T20 Blast. The 38-year-old Ali joins the White Rose in a move he hopes will help build bridges between communities and continues to "build on the good work" that Yorkshire has done to improve diversity and inclusion.
Ali's decision comes five years after he spoke out against racism within the club when Yorkshire player Azeem Rafiq was subjected to abuse. The case sparked an investigation into the club's culture, which has since implemented various changes to promote greater understanding and respect among players, staff, and fans.
"I think there should be something in place... I know it happens in football, guys hardly drink before the game, I think it will be the same in cricket within four or five years," Ali said. The all-rounder believes that as a Muslim, he is uniquely placed to address issues around drinking and its impact on performance.
Ali has expressed his admiration for England's white-ball captain Harry Brook, who has been making headlines after an altercation with a nightclub bouncer and fine imposed by the ECB. "I think he has done a good job... Mistakes can happen, it was just highlighted a lot more because we lost the Ashes," Ali said of his new teammate.
Ali will join Yorkshire in May before their first T20 match against Nottinghamshire. The move comes with an option to extend his contract for 2027. While he is committed to playing as much cricket as possible for Yorkshire, Ali also hinted that he may pursue a career in coaching after retiring from the game.
Ali's decision comes five years after he spoke out against racism within the club when Yorkshire player Azeem Rafiq was subjected to abuse. The case sparked an investigation into the club's culture, which has since implemented various changes to promote greater understanding and respect among players, staff, and fans.
"I think there should be something in place... I know it happens in football, guys hardly drink before the game, I think it will be the same in cricket within four or five years," Ali said. The all-rounder believes that as a Muslim, he is uniquely placed to address issues around drinking and its impact on performance.
Ali has expressed his admiration for England's white-ball captain Harry Brook, who has been making headlines after an altercation with a nightclub bouncer and fine imposed by the ECB. "I think he has done a good job... Mistakes can happen, it was just highlighted a lot more because we lost the Ashes," Ali said of his new teammate.
Ali will join Yorkshire in May before their first T20 match against Nottinghamshire. The move comes with an option to extend his contract for 2027. While he is committed to playing as much cricket as possible for Yorkshire, Ali also hinted that he may pursue a career in coaching after retiring from the game.
. Like, Moen Ali's all right I guess, he did some good work in the past and now he's just jumping on the bandwagon. Can't he just focus on playing cricket for once? 
It's T20 Blast, not a seminar on diversity and inclusion! And what's with the drinking thing? Can we please just enjoy a pint without having to address its impact on performance? 
It's just a game, guys!
. it's awesome to see ali using his platform to help build bridges between communities and promote diversity inclusion. i'm glad he's keeping that promise too 
. plus, getting involved in coaching could be a sick way for him to stay in the game after retirement... would love to see him come back as an assistant coach one day 
like he said, there should be something in place to prevent racism & abuse in sports 
️. Five years ago, he was already speaking out against the club's culture 
, and now they're making changes for the better 
. It's great that Ali is coming from a personal experience as a Muslim to address issues around drinking & performance 
. And I'm loving his positivity towards Harry Brook 
! Can't wait to see Moeen in action for Yorkshire this May 
️
. was really impressed by how yorkshire has taken steps to address their racism issues, now they've got a strong player like ali on board who can help push for positive change 
. hope ali brings his experience to the table to tackle issues like drinking culture in cricket... it's time we have a more nuanced discussion around this topic 
.
Ali's got a point about needing something for players before games, it's not like he's never thought of it before. And honestly, I think it's awesome that he's taking his own experiences as a Muslim into consideration. He's not just joining Yorkshire because of the team, he's doing it to make a difference and leave a lasting impact.
! He's literally doing his part to build bridges between communities and promote diversity & inclusion 
. And it's amazing to see him take on a role like this, using his platform as a Muslim cricketer to address issues around drinking in cricket 
. I love how he's all about positivity and supporting players like Harry Brook 
, i mean on one hand its great to see an all-rounder like him give back to the game and help build bridges between communities, but at the same time it feels like he's trying to make up for past mistakes by joining the team that's been under fire for racism 
, and now with harry brook getting into trouble over drinking, its like the club is still got some work to do on diversity and inclusion, i guess only time will tell if moeen can really make a difference 
! I mean, this guy's been around since 2009 and he's still killing it on the field. And now, he's joining Yorkshire to help promote diversity and inclusion – it's about time someone spoke up against racism in sports 
He's making such a big impact by helping build bridges between communities 
, but Ali thinks he's done a great job as captain 
. Let's give him a break and remember everyone makes mistakes 
... especially when it comes to nightlife 
.
and I'm so here for it! 