Ashes 2017 - Moeen Ali: Australians like to talk a lot

[Markhor]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricket/41965951

Australians "like to talk a lot" and England need to stay "calm" during the Ashes, says the tourists' all-rounder Moeen Ali.

Moeen, 30, has recovered from a side strain and will play in England's final warm-up game, starting on Wednesday. The first Test at the Gabba begins on 23 November, with England looking to defend the urn they regained in 2015.

Moeen told BBC Sport: "It's about being ready for that first ball when it's delivered in Brisbane."

The Worcestershire player, on his first Ashes tour down under, says he is ready for the intensity of the series and any hostility from the Australia players.

"Australians like to talk a lot, big themselves up," he said. "That's part of the game. It's not something that I haven't had before."

In order to begin the series with a victory, England would have to end Australia's unbeaten run in Brisbane that dates back to 1988. The home side's success in Queensland, coupled with a crowd that is often raucous and partisan, has led to the ground being nicknamed 'the Gabbatoir'.

"I've heard a lot about Brisbane," said Moeen. "It's something you have to block out. You have to focus on your game and the situation that the team is in.

"I'm prepared the best I can. When you're out there you rely on your instincts. I know it will be tough, but I've always backed my ability."

England completed a 192-run win over a Cricket Australia XI in Adelaide on Saturday, and face the same side again in Townsville. The four-day game will be Moeen's first action of the tour, but he said there are benefits to sitting out the previous two warm-up matches.

"I've had more time to work on my game," he said. "Sometimes when you're playing you don't get the chance to focus on yourself.

"Another benefit of not playing those two games is that it makes you hungrier to get out there and be with the guys. I can't wait to put my whites on and start performing."

Moeen, usually England's number eight in Test cricket, is likely to move up the order in the absence of Ben Stokes, who remains in England after being arrested on suspicion of actual bodily harm. Stokes is awaiting the outcome of a police investigation into his involvement in a fight outside a Bristol nightclub on 25 September.

"With the Stokesy situation I've probably got to go up the order by one, but my aim as a cricketer is to get up the order as high as I can, maybe push into a role at five or six," said Moeen.

"Obviously that's a bit further ahead. Firstly I have to do the job at number seven."

Yes Moeen ! You tell them, enough of this mild mannered, soft spoken routine

 

[Bilal7]

Lol, even his counter-sledges are polite.

Starc: I'm gonna break you head, mate!
Ali: You want to grab some dinner later? It's on me.

 

[troodon]

Will be interesting to see how Moeen Ali will handle the short stuff from Starc, Cummins etc. I am not convinced about his ability to play short ball yet.

 

[Hasan123]

Lol let's see what he does when he has 90mph bouncers coming at him. At least he's adding further spice to the series.

 

[Abdullah719]

Root tells Australia to 'bring it on' for Ashes

Townsville - England captain Joe Root on Tuesday told Australia to "bring it on", vowing to fight fire with fire as his team expect a hostile reception at next week's first Ashes Test in Brisbane.

Root said he was unfazed by talk that Australia would target him as he prepared for the first of five Ashes Tests at the Gabba and said his side will be hitting back hard.

"From our point of view, we'll be targeting every single one of them (the Australians)," the 26-year-old told reporters ahead of a second four-day warm-up match against the Cricket Australia XI in Townsville.

"Bring it on. It's what it's about. You want that competitive element to it and there are little in-house rivalries if you like.

"It should be a great series and they've got some great players within their squad and some good characters as well... They've got a lot of quality in their attack but we've got a lot of quality in our team as well."

Root said he expected a "hostile... very loud and rowdy atmosphere" in Brisbane, but said England were working hard to be "absolutely ready" for the first game.

One key concern is a lack of big runs for England's top order in the warm-up games so far, with no batsman going on to score a century despite most getting good starts, and a lack of runs for former captain Alastair Cook.

"I still think that this game, that's one of the things we really want to get out of it, is guys going on and making big hundreds," Root said.

"If we get the opportunity to do that, that's definitely the mentality we'll have as a batting side and that's something we're going to have to have throughout the five... Test matches.

"Some would say you don't want to peak too early and get too many big runs early in these warm-up games but ultimately getting good habits is always a good thing so that's the way we have to approach it."

http://www.sport24.co.za/Cricket/Ashes/root-tells-australia-to-bring-it-on-for-ashes-20171114

 

[James]

Entertaining statements from Ali, good to see some of the English boys giving it back to the Aussies instead of their usual nondescript media-friendly politician's responses.

 

[Hasan123]

Looks like you will have to listen to their talk from the bench .