Moeen lauds anti-racism steps as he joins Yorkshire

Moeen Ali

Former England all-rounder Moeen Ali has cancelled retirement plans and joined Yorkshire in a move he hopes can help the team continue to “build bridges” with communities.

The 38-year-old has reversed his decision to quit the county game, committing to playing in the T20 Blast. Five years ago, Moeen spoke out in support of Yorkshire player Azeem Rafiq who experienced racism while at the club.

Moeen says the case provided “a wake-up call for everybody” and expressed his belief that the county side have since “done a fantastic job integrating with society”.

“There was no doubt in my mind [to join Yorkshire]. There has definitely been a change throughout all of the counties, all the way through from coaches to umpires,” he said.

Over the past five years, Yorkshire have put in place a number of changes, from leadership to increasing support for women, girls and junior pathways.

Moeen, a two-time World Cup winner, joins the White Rose as one of England’s most accomplished white-ball cricketers, scoring 7,792 runs and taking 271 wickets in 420 T20 matches.

Yorkshire’s general manager of cricket Gavin Hamilton said: “Moeen’s decision to join Yorkshire reflects the direction of travel at the club and the environment we are building. We’re excited about what he will bring, not just in performances, but in setting standards.”

Moeen announced he would be leaving domestic cricket behind after featuring for Birmingham Bears last summer.

He ended his international career the previous year after playing 68 Tests, 138 ODIs and 92 T20 internationals, and featuring in three Ashes series.

Following England’s recent 4-1 Ashes defeat in Australia, the team’s culture again made headlines, with the England and Wales Cricket Board pledging to investigate reports of players drinking excessively.

As a Muslim, Moeen does not drink alcohol. From a sporting perspective, he says drinking a day or two before a match will have an impact on a player’s performance.

“I think when you’re at the elite level things have to be proper and if you’re trying to perform at the highest level then drinking is a bigger issue,” Moeen said.(BBC sport)