Star England allrounder withdraws from PSL, will prioritise preparations for World Cup

England’s batting allrounder, Moeen Ali, has decided to prioritise country over franchise cricket and is set to withdraw from the Pakistan Super League to concentrate on playing for England. England’s white-ball vice-captain has had a hectic schedule this summer, with 36 games already played across formats.

With the World Cup a priority for the defending champions, Ali will prioritise the upcoming ODI series against Bangladesh, as it could be an essential staging point before travelling to India for the big showdown. He reasoned that the series against Bangladesh as a determining factor behind his decision.

Moeen Ali will lose £40,000 for withdrawing from PSL

Moeen Ali picks up approximately £800,000 for participating in the Indian T20 League, while he is rewarded just £40,000 for similar efforts in the Pakistan Super League. As far as money goes, Moeen will not lose a lot of cash by pulling out of his contract with Islamabad United.

The withdrawal from PSL outfit Islamabad United comes in fear of cricketing burnout before the crucial 50-over World Cup. Not to forget, Moeen still has a season of the Indian T20 League to play with the Chennai franchise. Therefore, this withdrawal is a sensible decision from England’s white-ball specialist.

The Pakistan Super League is a tournament close to Moeen Ali’s sentiments, given his family’s Pakistani heritage. But, Moeen wants to make himself of service to his national side. Having him back in form would be a massive boost for the Three Lions. He has made two considerable contributions of 51 and 41 in the second and third ODI against South Africa in the recently concluded series. However, his bowling is something that can be improved upon. Although he does a decent job of restricting the flow of runs, he needs to pick up wickets more consistently.

Meanwhile, his compatriot Alex Hales has gone the other way by committing to his £145,000 Islamabad United contract and will miss the tour of Bangladesh. But unlike Moeen, he is not an England-contracted player, and this deal makes up a large part of his annual salary.