Moeen Ali among big names to star at WCL

Moeen Ali has confirmed he’ll be pulling on an England shirt again to represent his country in the World Championship of Legends (WCL) at Edgbaston.

Allrounder Ali called time on his international career in 2024 following a decade that saw him play 298 games across all formats.

But fans can see him back for England at Edgbaston this summer after the 37-year-old confirmed he’ll line-up alongside other England legends in the WCL.

Ali is set to feature for an England Champions side that will get the tournament underway against Pakistan on Friday 18 July at Edgbaston.

The Pakistan Champions side will feature Shahid Afridi, the Pakistan IT20 World Cup winning captain, and WCL 2024’s top run scorer Shoaib Malik who smashed 245 from seven games.

Big hitting white ball specialist Suresh Raina and IPL star Shikhar Dhawan – IPL’s second top run scorer of all time and the first player to hit back-to-back centuries in the IPL – will aim to help India retain the WCL title after winning last year’s inaugural event.

Aussie speed king Brett Lee, IPL and PSL winner Dwayne Smith and fellow West Indies star Sheldon Cottrell – known for his iconic army salute wicket celebration – have also signed to appear in the competition.

Demand is expected to be high for some games so register your interest now for tickets: https://edgbaston.com/wcl.

Harshit Tomar, Founder and CEO of the World Championship of Legends, said: “This is just the start! We’re speaking to more greats of the game, former international captains who are icons in their country, about playing in WCL 2025.

“We’ve said Season Two will be bigger and better than last year. We’ll be announcing more marquee names in the near future. It will be very special to see these legends locking horns again and rekindling old rivalries at Edgbaston.”

Edgbaston will again host WCL 2025 as legends from England, Pakistan, India, Australia, West Indies and South Africa go head to head.

Almost 50,000 people attended Edgbaston last year for the inaugural event and were treated to thrilling cricket – stirring memories of classic clashes from the past – and some standout performances.

Edgbaston will stage the tournament’s first four group games (Fri 18 to Sun 20 July) before returning for the semi finals on 31 July and grand final on Saturday 2 August.

That includes the eagerly awaited India vs Pakistan clash on Sunday 20 July in what’s set to be a packed, carnival atmosphere at Edgbaston. Last summer’s game sold out and demand for tickets is again expected to be strong.

Fans can register their interest now for all four group games plus the finals: https://edgbaston.com/wcl

Tickets will be available from 31 January.