'Glad they got out': Moeen Ali about his parents' close call in PoK as India struck terror camps

New Delhi, May 19 (IANS) Former England cricketer and Kolkata Knight Riders all-rounder Moeen Ali has opened up about the volatile mix of war-like tension and professional uncertainty that gripped overseas players at the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 in the aftermath of India's military retaliation—Operation Sindoor—against terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (PoK).

Moeen Ali last played for Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in their match against Chennai Super Kings (CSK) on May 7 at Eden Gardens. The 37-year-old reminisced about the tense conversations he had with both overseas and Indian players following the abrupt suspension of the game between Punjab Kings (PBKS) and Delhi Capitals (DC) at the HPCA Stadium in Dharamsala. The match was called off midway as a safety measure amid Pakistan’s attempted strikes on Indian airbases and urban centres.

In a conversation on the Beard Before Wicket podcast, Moeen shed light on the collective anxiety that rocked foreign players in the IPL as they faced an unprecedented crossroads: career versus safety.

“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," said Moeen.

IPL 2025 was shaping up to be one of the most commercially successful seasons yet—until the Pahalgam terror attack changed everything. In response, India launched Operation Sindoor, leading to escalating tensions with Pakistan.

Moeen, who had been a regular on the franchise circuit, recalled the moment the personal became terrifyingly political. His parents were visiting family in PoK—just an hour or two from where the strikes reportedly hit.

“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.

Beyond the fear for loved ones, Moeen talked about the information vacuum and media distortion that made everything worse for players.

“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,” said Moeen.

--IANS

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