English veteran spinner Moeen Ali has confirmed he will not be returning to the test arena.
"It's time to close the door on that side of my career. To play 64 Tests for England has been a privilege and a dream fulfilled," he wrote in The Daily Mail.
It was initially believed Ali had retired in 2021, but after speaking to new England coach Brendon McCullum earlier this year, Ali revised his decision to instead head with the test side to Pakistan in December.
However, in his column, he also confirmed that was no longer the case.
"That's a trip I won't be making sadly," he wrote.
"It's not something I'm keen on doing any more.
"I've had an honest chat with Baz [McCullum] about the tour and I really can't see myself being stuck in hotels for another month and playing Test cricket to the best of my ability.
"Baz phoned me and we spoke at length and I just said, 'Nah, sorry, I'm done' and he understands. He knows the feeling. Yes, I said I was 'unretired' in the summer and watching the boys, I got the feeling I properly miss this and that this is how I've always wanted to play the game.
"But the more I thought about it and discussed with those close to me, I knew deep down why I was done. Test cricket is hard work. I don't think my mindset would be any different even if the restrictions were lifted in Pakistan. I'm 35 now and something's got to give."
Ali continues to represent his nation in white ball cricket, where most recently, he captained the English T20 side to a 4-3 victory in Pakistan in place of injured regular captain Jos Butler.
During his time with the red ball, Ali took 195 wickets and averaged 28.29 with bat in hand.
