Amid the escalating geopolitical crisis, Moeen Ali was among a group of overseas players who opted not to return to India even after the tournament resumed post-ceasefire
Moeen Ali (Pic: AFP)
Kolkata Knight Riders all-rounder Moeen Ali shared his anxiety over the safety of his parents after India launched Operation Sindoor in retaliation to the devastating terrorist attack in Pahalgam of South Kashmir.
Moeen revealed that his parents were in Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (PoK) at the time the military operation commenced.
“My parents were actually in Kashmir (PoK) at the time…in Pakistan, only about an hour away from where the strikes happened, probably. Maybe a bit farther," Moeen said on the Beard Before Wicket podcast. "It was a bit crazy, and then they managed to get the only flights out on that day. I was glad they got out, but it was crazy.”
In response to the April 22 attack, Indian armed forces conducted precise airstrikes on terrorist infrastructure located in PoK and parts of Pakistan. The subsequent escalation in hostilities between the two nuclear-armed neighbours brought regional tensions to a boiling point and resulted in the suspension of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 season.
Amid the escalating geopolitical crisis, Moeen was among a group of overseas players who opted not to return to India even after the tournament resumed post-ceasefire. Multiple foreign cricketers made the decision to return home following the outbreak of the conflict.
“It was mad. Obviously, there were those attacks in Kashmir before everything really kicked off. Then within no time, things just rapidly escalated, and all of a sudden, we were in the middle of it. It felt like we were in the middle of a war, but obviously we didn't hear anything (like missiles striking). All of a sudden, you're just scrambling to get out of the country and just trying to make sure your family's fine. People are worried about you back home, and you just want to make sure they're at ease as well," he added.
Moeen also described the uncertainty and confusion among players as the situation deteriorated. Some dismissed the threat of an actual war, while others feared severe retaliation and a full-blown military confrontation.
“People weren't quite sure what was happening or how things were. I spoke to a lot of the guys. Some of them were like, ‘There won't be a war; everything will be fine. These things have happened before.' Some guys were like, ‘I think there'll be a war. I think there'll be some sort of retaliation or whatever you want to call it," he said.
The England veteran emphasised that the greatest concern among overseas players was the potential suspension of flights amidst the chaos.
“There's so much lying going on that it's hard to believe people, especially the news outlets and journalists. You don't know exactly what's going on, and that's the scary bit, because you don't know where you stand. You don't know if things are going to escalate quickly. The thing we were most worried about was flights getting cancelled and not being able to get out. But it must be so much harder for the local players or for guys who are Pakistani or Indian, stuck there not knowing what's going to happen," he added.
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