England all-rounder Moeen Ali has insisted that his identity on the Queen’s Birthday Honors List is much more than “runs and wickets”.
When players or women are named on one of the British and Commonwealth honor lists headed by Queen Elizabeth II who celebrates her platinum jubilee this week, it is usually in recognition of a successful on-field career .
And while the 34-year-old Moeen, who was named an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) on Wednesday, has made 225 appearances in all formats for England during a professional career spanning 16 years, Worcestershire’s flamboyant batsman and off-spinner He has also been a pioneer for the Asian community in Britain.
Moeen Ali OBE
Congratulations to Moe, who has been honored at the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Honors pic.twitter.com/Bn650N4paJ
– England Cricket (@englandcricket) 1 June 2022
A Birmingham-born cricketer of Pakistani heritage, Moeen rarely shies away from declaring his Muslim faith in a sport that has repeatedly faced allegations of discrimination.
And while Moeen’s cricketing achievements include a Test hat-trick and a World Cup winner’s medal, he said the OBE was also a proud moment for his father Munir and mother Maqsood.
“It’s an honor, it’s amazing and my family is really proud and happy,” Moeen said. “More than anything, I know it makes my parents happy.
“It’s not about runs and wickets. I think it’s more about the journey I went through and all that sort of thing, I guess. It’s my background, my upbringing and all that. I’ve gone through all these things in my entire life.”
But Moeen, for whom the OBE was “almost the icing on the cake”, has not always been comfortable with being seen as an ambassador for Britain’s Asian population.
“From the word ‘go’, as soon as I played for England, people labeled me as a potential role model or role model,” he said. “It’s a huge responsibility … but as time goes by, you accept it and deal with it better.”
Moeen, who retired from Test cricket in September, said: “You have to accept it and realize that you are probably a role model, even if you don’t like to say it too much.
“You inspire a lot of people, especially those from the inner city and people who can relate to you.
“I don’t like that word role model somewhat, but I know my role and what I need to do.”
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