Moeen Ali fined 25% match fees for breaching ICC rule

English all-rounder Moeen Ali was on Sunday fined 25% of his match fees for violating the International Cricket Council (ICC) Code of Conduct during the ongoing first Test against Australia in Edgbaston.

Moeen, 36, breached Article 2.20 of the ICC Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel which is associated with displaying actions that go against the spirit of the game.

The incident took place in the 89th over during Australia’s first innings when the all-rounder was seen applying a “drying agent” to his bowling hand while fielding.

The 36-year-old admitted his offence and accepted the penalty presented by Andy Pycroft of the Emirates ICC Elite Panel of Match Referees.

Level 1 breaches carry a minimum penalty of an official reprimand, a maximum penalty of 50% of a player’s match fee, and one or two demerit points

Earlier, Moeen revealed his conversation with the English skipper Ben Stokes and how a one-word message convinced him to take back retirement and play the Ashes.

“Stokes sent me a message saying ‘Ashes?’ I responded with ‘LOL,” Moeen revealed in a press conference on Tuesday.

The 36-year-old stated that only Stokes could have persuaded him to come out of Test retirement.

Moeen further said he was not aware of the news about Jack Leach’s injury and thought Stokes was joking.

“Then the news came through and I had a chat with him,” he said. “That was it. It’s the Ashes. To be part of it would be amazing.”

Moeen is in action for England in the first Ashes Test at Edgbaston where he scored 18 off 17 in the first innings while batting and took two important wickets of Travis Head and Cameroon Green.

Moeen, who made his Test debut in 2014, played his last Test against India at the Oval in September 2021.

It must be noted that the all-rounder has scored 2,914 runs in 64 Tests at an average of 28.29, and picked up 195 wickets with his off-spin.