England star Moeen Ali pulls out of Pakistan Super League to go to Mecca
Tuesday 24 January 2017 21:42, UK
England's Moeen Ali has withdrawn from playing in the Pakistan Super League to go on a pilgrimage to Mecca with his family.
The all-rounder, a Muslim, was picked up by Quetta Gladiators in the PSL supplementary draft on Monday, as a replacement for West Indian Carlos Brathwaite.
But just a day later the Gladiators announced on their official Twitter account that Moeen had opted out of playing in the tournament for family reasons.
The Gladiators tweeted: "@MoeenAli is a top player and a great person. We respect his decision to honour his family commitment first. Good Luck Moeen."
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Moeen, currently touring India with England, replied: "Thanks guys. Inshallah (if Allah wills) in the future sometime. Would have loved to have taken part. All the best in the competition."
Veteran Australian batsman Brad Hodge was drafted in as Moeen's replacement for the tournament, held in Dubai and Sharjah, which begins on February 9.
