India remains a country obsessed with its cricket stars. Quite often this obsession has been highlighted as the reason behind the team’s inability to earn big titles. There have also been discussions around the places veterans like Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Ravindra Jadeja, etc. hold in the team even as their performances haven’t been top-notch on the international stage in recent years. For Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) all-rounder Moeen Ali, players shouldn’t hold on to their spots in the team just because they have a big fan-following.

Moeen, in a straightforward conversation with the Indian Express, said that players can continue to feature in the Indian Premier League (IPL) even when they aren’t at their best. But at the international stage, it’s important to make way so that other players can be given a chance.

“Franchisee cricket is one thing, which is like a privately owned enterprise. You can continue playing if the franchisee is fine with it,” Moeen told the paper. “And it is a T20. But when you’re representing a country, be it a Test or an ODI, the self-reflection should be harder. If England was a franchise, I would have carried on playing because I know I am capable. But because it’s England and it’s international cricket, and there is always a bigger group of players to pick from, I retired to make way.”

When pointed out that it isn’t an easy call for certain top Indian players to make because of their intense fanbase (like Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli), Moeen said it’s important that such decisions come from the individuals.

Rohit, in fact, has had quite an extended barren run with the bat. Even in the ongoing IPL, his stats paint a worrying picture of a massive decline.

“I definitely think you shouldn’t just hold on because you’re a big name or you have a massive following. And it should never be your own personal goals,” he said.

Moeen even said that such a reluctance to step aside can be branded as ‘selfishness’.

“Don’t just hold on for the sake of holding on in a selfish way. Just be a bit more realistic and think, is it worth me holding on? Have I got more to give to the team? If the team wants to go in a new direction, I think you should allow that to happen. If you’re not performing and you’re at that age where you’re a bit older and there’s younger players coming through and they’re probably playing better than you right now. It doesn’t mean they’re better than you now, but they’re playing better than you. Then you should be a bit more realistic and honest with yourself,” he asserted.