Former England all-rounder Moeen Ali is raising concerns against the ICC and accusing them of adopting double standards as the Jay Shah-led international governing body of cricket has not allowed Bangladesh to change the venue and barred them from participating in the competition.
After the ICC initiated the recent conflict amid the ongoing USA-Israel war over the Iran belt, former English all-rounder Moeen Ali claimed that the ICC should be more transparent in its methods and dealings with all the boards and countries under it and should not be biased towards anyone.
Moeen Ali accused Jay Shah and ICC of having ‘double standards’
With politics often influencing the game of cricket today, the former English all-rounder has called for a more consistent approach from the international governing body. He recalled an incident in 2014 that happened early in his career for England.
When Moeen chose to wear a wristband supporting Gaza, it was deemed a breach of ICC rules prohibiting messages related to political causes. After this he also raised the Bangladesh issue under the same issue and tried to explain the unfair neglect of the team.
“The problem is they [ICC] Pick and choose. This is double standards. If you don’t have to make a political statement, it should be every statement. The ECB was fine with my wristband, it was the ICC [who weren’t]Even if I thought it was in support of the humanitarian cause.”
Moeen Ali said in an interview with The Sunday Times, “The ICC needs to be more clear. The whole Bangladesh thing. It’s one rule for one, one rule for the other.”
Moeen Ali has also volunteered to be a voice for South Asian communities at the ECB
The off-spinner then threw light on another big racist controversy that is going on involving the ECB and several county cricket clubs under the ECB. He has said this in response to Azim Rafiq’s previous allegations against the Yorkshire club.
He himself has volunteered to be a part of the ECB, where he can speak up for English cricketers belonging to the South Asian community, as they are often victims of some form of racism. “As long as it’s not box-ticking,” he said.
“It has to mean something. We talk about cricket being for everyone. Saying it and doing it is different.” Ali believes that during his time in Yorkshire, he can help build bridges between the Asian population and the ECB.
Moeen Ali part of the ‘golden phase’ of English cricket
One of England’s greatest spin-bowling all-rounders, Moeen Ali made his debut for the country in 2014. He played for England for almost a decade, in what can be called the best era of English cricket, where he swept the trophy in ICC tournaments.
Known as an excellent spinner and a reliable batsman lower down the order, Moeen Ali played 68 matches in Test cricket, 138 in ODIs and 92 in the shortest format of the game. He scored 3094, 2355 and 1229 runs in all three formats respectively. He also took 204, 111 and 51 wickets in all three formats respectively.
The former all-rounder was part of the English squad during the ICC T20 World Cup 2022 and ICC Cricket World Cup 2019. He was also part of the Eoin Morgan-led team that finished runners-up in the ICC T20 World Cup 2016.
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