England's World Cup-winning allrounder Moeen Ali retires from international cricket

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England's World Cup-winning allrounder Moeen Ali retires from international cricket

2024-09-08 21:32 Last Updated At：21:40

England allrounder Moeen Ali has announced his retirement from international cricket, continuing the changing of the guard in the English game that has also seen fast-bowling greats Stuart Broad and Jimmy Anderson quit the sport over the past year.

The 37-year-old Ali, who was overlooked for the upcoming white-ball series against Australia, said in an interview with British newspaper the Daily Mail that it was “time for the next generation.”

“It felt the time was right. I’ve done my part,” said Ali, who played 68 tests, 138 one-day internationals and 92 Twenty20 internationals for England — winning the World Cup in both of the shorter forms.

Ali, who was a role model for British Muslims, said he still feels like he can compete at the highest level, but was “trying to be realistic” about his international future.

“I could hold on and try to play for England again, but I know in reality I won’t,” Ali told the Mail.

Matthew Mott was fired as head coach of England's limited-overs teams last month after disappointing title defenses in the ODI and T20 World Cups and the appetite for change continued with the removal from the squad of Ali and Jonny Bairstow — two senior players sharing over 400 caps.

Broad retired from cricket after last year's Ashes and Anderson followed suit in July during the test series against the West Indies.

The likes of spinner Shoaib Bashir and 20-year-old fast-bowler Josh Hull have been brought into the fold to help usher in a new era for English cricket across all formats.

Ali had been an influential vice-captain to Jos Buttler in the white-ball teams in recent years and was brought out of test retirement for the 2023 Ashes as a favor to captain Ben Stokes with England in need of a spinner.

Throughout it all, Ali was an extremely popular member of the England dressing room — with his cover drive his most memorable shot.

“I was a free-spirit kind of player and played on instinct a lot of the time,” he told Sky Sports.

Ali is one of only five men to take 200 wickets and score 3,000 runs in tests for England, the others being Stokes, Ian Botham, Andrew Flintoff and Broad. He brought up both landmarks in successive tests in the 2023 Ashes series.

Ali said he was “especially” proud of taking 204 test wickets as well as getting five test centuries and a hat trick against South Africa.

“He would do anything the team required, probably to the hindrance of his career — he batted from No. 1 to No. 8," former England captain Alastair Cook said. “He was one of the great teammates.”

Broad described Ali as “one of my favorite ever teammates”, adding on Sky Sports: “He was someone who could make the whole changing room feel relaxed.”

Ali said he wants to continue playing franchise cricket but ultimately hopes to move into coaching.

“Coaching is something I want to do — I want to be one of the best,” he said. “I can learn a lot from (England coach Brendon McCullum)."

England hosts Australia in an eight-game white-ball tour, beginning on Wednesday with a T20 in Southampton.

AP cricket: https://apnews.com/hub/cricket

Patriots' pocket is not yet safe enough for Drake Maye to take over for Jacoby Brissett

2024-09-17 06:33 Last Updated At：06:41

The New England Patriots showed in Week 2 why they are sticking with Jacoby Brissett at quarterback over first-round draft pick Drake Maye.

Not because Brissett is moving the offense with his arm, or even his legs.

But because it’s not yet safe for Maye to line up behind the Patriots’ offensive line.

Brissett was sacked three times and hit a handful of others in the 23-20 overtime loss to the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday. One left the caretaker quarterback favoring his shoulder, another twisted his knee.

And the Patriots have invested too much in Maye — the No. 3 overall pick in the draft — to put the former North Carolina star at risk.

“You never want your quarterback to get hit,” coach Jerod Mayo said. “We have to do a better job with our pass (protection) up front, and we have to keep him clean. Because even when he’s not getting hit, or any quarterback, if they’re back there and they feel people around him, it always is going to affect you a little bit.”

Although the Patriots came into the season with low expectations — they were the biggest underdog in the league in Week 1 — Brissett managed the offense well enough to come away with an upset of the Cincinnati Bengals. Mayo crowed that his offensive line had been unfairly maligned.

But the problems the blockers showed in the preseason — Brissett hurt his right shoulder in the finale against Washington — reappeared against the Seahawks.

One key turning point came after Antonio Gibson broke free for a 45-yard run to the Seattle 25 with about seven minutes left and New England holding a 20-17 lead. After two runs that took almost two minutes off the clock, Brissett was sacked for a 9-yard loss, dropping the Patriots from the 21 to the 30.

The 48-yard field goal attempt was blocked, setting the Seahawks up on a short field for the tying field goal that sent the game into overtime.

The defense — especially the run defense — has been solid. The Seahawks managed just 46 yards on 19 carries.

The passing game has been slow to develop over the first two games, with Brissett totaling 30 completions for 270 yards and one touchdown so far this season. He has thrown only one pass downfield, according to Sportradar — the fewest attempts of 20 or more yards in the league. Only the Commanders (0-2), the Panthers (0-6) and the Bears (0-10) also have failed to complete a deep pass.

Tight end Hunter Henry caught eight passes, matching a career high, for a personal-best 109 yards.

After managing the season opener well enough to beat the Cincinnati Bengals, Brissett completed just 15 of 27 passes for 149 yards.

Linebacker Ja'Whaun Bentley, a defensive captain, left the game in the first quarter with a shoulder injury. Center David Andrews missed practice on Monday with a hip injury.

19 – Brissett completed three passes for 19 yards to wide receivers in the game. It’s the eighth time since the merger that Patriots wide receivers have picked up fewer than 20 passing yards in a game. Brissett has two of them, also connecting with wide receivers for just 16 yards in a 16-0 loss to Buffalo on Oct. 2, 2016, the final game of Tom Brady’s Deflategate suspension.

The Patriots travel to the Meadowlands to play the Jets on Thursday night.

AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl