Moeen Ali labels cricket schedule "unsustainable", predicts end of ODI cricket

Moeen believes more cricketers could follow Ben Stokes' lead and retire from certain formats due to overlapping schedules

Moeen Ali has become the latest player to criticise cricket's jam-packed schedule, labelling it "unsustainable".

The England allrounder also believes more players could follow Ben Stokes' lead and retire from certain formats due to overlapping schedules. Less lucrative than T20 cricket and without the pedigree of Test cricket, ODIs are the obvious casualty.

Stokes, England's Test captain, called time on his ODI career in July in order to manage his workload, stating: "There is too much cricket rammed in for people to play all three formats. We are not cars where you can fill us up with petrol and let us go. It has an effect on you, the playing, the travel, it does add up."

Speaking during The Hundred, Moeen, who captains Birmingham Phoenix, weighed in on the scheduling debate, commenting: "It's all over the place. At the moment it's not sustainable in my opinion.

^{Ben Stokes played his final ODI in July [Stu Forster/Getty Images]}

"Something has to be done because I fear losing the 50-over format in a couple of years because it's almost like the long, boring one, if that makes sense. It's almost like you've got T20s, you've got the Test matches which are great and then the 50 overs is just in the middle - there's no importance given to it at the moment.

"Personally I feel like there's too much going on. It's great in a way, because there's always cricket being played, but it should never come in the way of international cricket in my opinion.

"International cricket in all three formats is by far the best cricket to play. There's no doubt about that. But I do worry there are so many tournaments out there that players are retiring more now - and you'll see more retiring soon - because of overlapping schedules."

Earlier this week, ECB chief executive Clare Connor acknowledged these concerns, telling BBC Sport: "We have to listen to those who are being expected to deliver, entertain and inspire.

"It's something that we have got to grapple with - that's us with players, other boards, the International Cricket Council and the Professional Cricketers' Association"

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