London: England all-rounder Moeen Ali has confirmed on Wednesday that he is leaving Worcestershire to return home county Warwickshire on a three-year deal.
Moeen, who began his career with Warwickshire, said, “I’m sad to be leaving Worcestershire after so long and have loved every minute of it. I’ve played with some amazing people and owe a huge thanks to the club for bringing me here and giving me the platform to perform.”
Upon joining Warwickshire, Moeen said, “I’m delighted to return home to Edgbaston. I was born and raised just a few miles away from the stadium, with my life always centered around Birmingham. When the opportunity presented itself, it was a decision I couldn’t say no to and I believe I have unfinished business at the Bears.”
Moeen joined Worcestershire in September of 2006 and went on to play nearly 350 games across all formats, scoring over 13,000 runs, taking over 300 wickets, and winning three trophies in his time at New Road.
Earlier, Worcestershire have confirmed the England all-rounder’s departure from the club.
There had been a lot of speculation surrounding the cricketer, who had retired from Test cricket last September to prolong his white-ball career, about his county move, with several clubs including Yorkshire and Warwickshire reportedly inclined to sign him.
He made his last appearance in Worcestershire’s final Vitality Blast fixture of the 2022 season at New Road against Notts Outlaws on July 3.
The 35-year-old Moeen was a regular for Worcestershire across all formats until he made his England debut and became centrally contracted.
“England commitments, and the Covid pandemic, meant his availability was heavily limited for the Pears over the past three years,” the club said.
His first major trophy-winning success came in his second season with the county, playing his part in the club’s NatWest Pro40 title win. Red-ball success followed immediately with the promotion in 2008 and then bouncing straight back to Division One in 2010. Moeen was also a part of the promotion-winning side in 2017.
“Moeen will always be remembered as an inspirational leader who has played an enormous part in the club over his 16 years at New Road,” the statement added.
(IANS)
