Picture Credit: ECB
England all-rounder Moeen Ali was awarded an OBE (Officer of the Order of the British Empire) for his services in cricket. Notably, an individual is awarded this honor when they make an impact in their line of work. Moeen, 34, who has played over 200 games for the national team and remains a flag bearer of his community, has been included in one of the British and Commonwealth honors lists presided over by Queen Elizabeth II, who is celebrating her Platinum Jubilee this week
The Birmingham-based cricketer expressed glee at being recognized by the Queen for his work and said he accepted this honor just to make his parents happy. "It is obviously an honor and the more you think about it, the more you realize how nice it is and how rewarding it is," Moeen said. "More than anything, I know it makes my parents happy and that's the most important thing - one of the main reasons for accepting. It's amazing and my family are really proud and happy.
"I think it's more about the journey I've been on, my background, my upbringing, and all that. Maybe the way I played a little bit and the way I go about my cricket, maybe that's what people have liked or whatever,” he added.
If it wasn’t for them, I wouldn’t be here: Ali
The 34-year-old expressed his gratitude to his family and thanked them for their support throughout his career. "I know if it wasn't for them, that there's no way any of us would have made it in any sort of cricketing capacity or had the strength to carry on at times. They made a huge effort and sacrificed their own lives in certain ways for us to make it,” said Ali.
Notably, the all-rounder has represented England in 225 (64 Tests, 112 ODIs, 49 T20Is) matches across the three formats. He has taken 315 wickets and scored around 5500 runs in all formats.