Now in the third and final year of his contract with Warwickshire, Moeen will accelerate his move into coaching during the T20 Blast this year with a player-coach role at Birmingham Bears and has decided to skip the Hundred. It is not yet clear whether he will be available for the knockout stages in September, should the Bears qualify.

Moeen has captained Birmingham Phoenix across the first four seasons of the Hundred but will not play for them in 2025. The eight Hundred teams had until 1pm on Monday to finalise their retentions for 2025, keeping hold of up to 10 players in both the men’s and women’s competitions at a mutually-agreed salary band.

Hales confirmed last week that he will not play at Trent Bridge this year, and has instead signed with the Knight Riders franchises in Major League Cricket and the Caribbean Premier League. Moeen’s decision could see him return to Guyana Amazon Warriors in mid-August, having represented the franchise in the CPL and the inaugural Global Super League last year.

Warwickshire confirmed ESPNcricinfo’s story on Monday afternoon. “This is a big decision for me and not one I’ve taken lightly,” Moeen said in a club statement. “But I’ve reached a decision in the last few days, taking into account what I feel is best for me and my family at this stage in my career.

“I’m still passionate about the game and want to play as much as I can. I still love playing. I still have passion for the game and I love being in a team environment. “I also enjoy talking to players about cricket, the tactics, and I think that’ll help me move smoothly into coaching after my playing days are over.

“I came back to Warwickshire with an aim of trying to help them win the Blast and I still want to play a role this year. I’ll be available to play throughout the Blast group games, and would love to be involved as a player-coach.”

The Phoenix’s men narrowly missed out on the final last year and have retained a strong core. Jacob Bethell, Liam Livingstone, Ben Duckett, Dan Mousley, Will Smeed and Benny Howell are all staying put, while Dan Vettori’s side will field an all-New Zealand pace attack comprising Adam Milne, Tim Southee and new direct signing Trent Boult.

At least two other Hundred teams are releasing their men’s captains. Lewis Gregory, who captained Trent Rockets to the 2022 title, is set to head back into March’s draft, as is Dan Lawrence, who captained London Spirit for the last two seasons but will be replaced in the role by new signing Kane Williamson.

Moeen, who is studying for his ECB Level Three coaching qualifications, will form part of a new-look Warwickshire coaching staff during the Blast, with Ian Westwood replacing Mark Robinson as head coach and Matt Walker joining as batting coach after leaving Kent. The Blast starts on May 30, soon after Moeen returns from his IPL commitments with Kolkata Knight Riders.

2.45pm GMT – This story was updated after confirmation from Warwickshire.