Antigua and Barbuda Falcons captain Moeen Ali ended the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) 2026 celebrations in Barbados on Sunday with a “Free Palestine Always” message after leading his side to their maiden title.
Ali’s statement was another sign of the growing campaign in support of Palestine and came in the backdrop of a recent controversy that left UK singer Ed Sheeran without backup and supporting singers after one of them, Macklemore was dropped because of a pro Palestinian message.
Ali has had a history of advocacy for Palestine.
According to the UK Guardian, Sunday’s appeal came 12 years after he was stopped by the International Cricket Council from wearing “Save Gaza” and “Free Palestine” wristbands during a Test against India.
The England and Wales Cricket Board had cleared him to wear the wristbands, arguing that the gesture was humanitarian rather than political. However, ICC match referee David Boon subsequently stopped Ali from wearing the wristbands for the remainder of the Test, citing the governing body’s regulations on political, religious or racial messages.
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