Joe Root has apologised to Moeen Ali for saying he "chose" to go home

[King_Kohli]

Joe Root has spoken to Moeen Ali privately and acknowledged his mistake after leaving the all-rounder open to criticism from supporters by calling his pre-agreed exit from India something he had “chosen” to do.

As a multi-format player, Moeen is the latest to take time out of the three-month subcontinental tour as part of England’s rest and rotation policy that has led Ben Stokes, Jofra Archer, Jonny Bairstow, Mark Wood and Sam Curran to miss Test matches in order to stave of so-called “bubble fatigue”.

England had hoped Moeen might forgo his 10-day break at home following eight wickets his first Test in 18 months. But having spent 20 days of the tour in isolation – he contracted Covid-19 before England landed in Sri Lanka and also had to quarantine in India – Moeen has stuck to the original plan.

Speaking after England’s 317-run defeat in Chennai, Root said: “Moeen has chosen to go home. It’s obviously been a very tricky tour for him. As we mentioned at the start [of the winter], if players feel like they need to get out of the bubble, then that’s been an option. It is really important that we stand by that.

“With Moeen it wasn’t more asking if he wanted to stay, it was a decision he had chosen. Of course we wanted as many players available for as long as possible, but you also want them to be very comfortable here.

“If you look at this tour, it’s been a really difficult one for him, having Covid, being in his room for such long periods of time, and I think we’ve come to a point where he wants to get out of the bubble. That’s absolutely fair enough.”

The comments differed from previous explanations of the rotation policy in which the England management looked to publicly own the decisions and take any resulting criticism. It prompted the former England captain Nasser Hussain to tell Sky Sports that Moeen “had been hung out to dry” in comparison to others.

Root is understood to have since spoken to Moeen back at the team hotel to apologise for implying this was a unilateral decision and reassure him of his value to the setup before he returns home to his family.

Moeen will be back for next month’s five-match Twenty20 series, with the white-ball captain, Eoin Morgan, set to be handed a full-strength squad by the selectors in order to tune up for the T20 World Cup in India later in the year.

Asked if he was happy that the Test side is playing second fiddle to the white-ball format this winter, Root said: “My job is to manage the squad of players that we have here, and I’m trying to do that to the best of my ability.”

Moeen returned figures of eight for 226 in the second Test, although whether he adds to his 61 caps remains uncertain. England are unlikely to play two spinners at home during the summer, while a disappointing 2017-18 Ashes tour may rule him out of travelling to Australia at the end of the year.

Asked about this, Root replied: “Why would it be Moeen’s last Test match? I thought he actually got better as the game went on and showed everyone he’s got skills to perform at this level. It means that he’s not going to play a further part out here but I don’t see why that closes the door on him entirely.”

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2...ecover-from-india-mauling-cricket-second-test

 

[Ab Fan]

Oh dear! The backlash for these stuffs... Now captain will apologize his teammate for not wording it correctly?

 

[Hasan123]

So much fuss for this average player. It was agreed he would go back to England at this point before the tour started. Root has now apologised for miss wording his statement. Yet we are still hearing about this. Absolutely ridiculous. Moen Ali seems like he needs to be told he is important to feel comfortable. Also the fact he is always bringing up his ethnicity and how he is treated due to this, shows he struggles to deal with criticism. I have only see him being criticised when he hasn't performed.

 

[Forum363]

Oh dear! The backlash for these stuffs... Now captain will apologize his teammate for not wording it correctly?

Yes, because English cricket has a racism problem (against Asian cricketers) and here is a blatant example of an Asian cricketer being thrown under the bus while his team mates were given the full support for something similar.

Archer was continuously defended after breaking the rules, lying / hiding it and putting everyone at risk. However Moeen going home as per the plan is made to be his ‘choice’. Words which imply a lack of dedication.

 

[Forum363]

So much fuss for this average player. It was agreed he would go back to England at this point before the tour started. Root has now apologised for miss wording his statement. Yet we are still hearing about this. Absolutely ridiculous. Moen Ali seems like he needs to be told he is important to feel comfortable. Also the fact he is always bringing up his ethnicity and how he is treated due to this, shows he struggles to deal with criticism. I have only see him being criticised when he hasn't performed.

In public after the match, he used word which implied Mooen was committed and many people jumped on this and slated Moeen. This is despite every other player being backed and supported for the same situation.

Now a few days later, Root has privately apologised for this knowing how unfair he was. How is that ‘too much fuss’? And what does it have to do with his skill level.

If you were facing racism and double standards and work and complained but were met with ‘but you’re just average at your job...’ how would that make you feel?

 

[BigShak]

So much fuss for this average player. It was agreed he would go back to England at this point before the tour started. Root has now apologised for miss wording his statement. Yet we are still hearing about this. Absolutely ridiculous. Moen Ali seems like he needs to be told he is important to feel comfortable. Also the fact he is always bringing up his ethnicity and how he is treated due to this, shows he struggles to deal with criticism. I have only see him being criticised when he hasn't performed.

Ah here we go another hater using this as an opportunity to slate Moeen further. You do know it isn’t him who’s asked for this reaction. The guy has accepted Roots apology and moved on. How others react or what is said in the media shouldn’t be used to knock Moeen.

 

[Titan24]

So much fuss for this average player.

What his ability as cricketer has anything to do with this?

 

[shaz619]

In public after the match, he used word which implied Mooen was committed and many people jumped on this and slated Moeen. This is despite every other player being backed and supported for the same situation.

Now a few days later, Root has privately apologised for this knowing how unfair he was. How is that ‘too much fuss’? And what does it have to do with his skill level.

If you were facing racism and double standards and work and complained but were met with ‘but you’re just average at your job...’ how would that make you feel?

Exactly, the apology is welcomed when you look at how certain parts of the media reacted to Root’s poor choice of words, why does anyone deserve to be attacked unjustly, others in the team were not treated in the same way. Mo is meant to be the poster boy for inclusivity etc this doesn’t reflect well on the ECB especially in circumstances where certain issues are being raised about treatment of minorities across the board

 

[DeadlyVenom]

Putting any alleged racial theories to one side, no matter how much we like Moeen as a player, players choosing or being allowed to go home during an evenly poised important test series for family reasons but willing to abandon his family to play t20/ipl is a sad indictment for cricket.

 

[silentkiller187]

Correct me if i am wrong but all this backlash came from fans calling Moeen a disgrace yesterday for abandoning his post? Today news comes out this was actually agreed before hand and if anything England were in the wrong and now its Moeens fault for causing this fuss and hoo haa and giving the media an opportunity to write a story because hes an attention seeker?

Some peoples logic is laughable, this is why discrimination and racism will never be wiped out, people will always hold pre misconceptions regardless of the facts.

 

[Forum363]

Putting any alleged racial theories to one side, no matter how much we like Moeen as a player, players choosing or being allowed to go home during an evenly poised important test series for family reasons but willing to abandon his family to play t20/ipl is a sad indictment for cricket.

Did you say the same thing about Butler, Stokes, Archer, Curran, Bairstow, Wood?

Did you take into consideration that regardless of IPL / T20, Moeen has been on the road for 3 months during which he hasn’t seen his young kids and contracted Covid?

And the fact that Moeen doesn’t have a Test contract so he earns more from an IPL season than a whole year with England?

 

[Forum363]

Exactly, the apology is welcomed when you look at how certain parts of the media reacted to Root’s poor choice of words, why does anyone deserve to be attacked unjustly, others in the team were not treated in the same way. Mo is meant to be the poster boy for inclusivity etc this doesn’t reflect well on the ECB especially in circumstances where certain issues are being raised about treatment of minorities across the board

Absolutely. The English cricket culture is so inherently racist, and while they’ve made some attempts to improve, this clearly shows the double standards.

 

[silentkiller187]

Putting any alleged racial theories to one side, no matter how much we like Moeen as a player, players choosing or being allowed to go home during an evenly poised important test series for family reasons but willing to abandon his family to play t20/ipl is a sad indictment for cricket.

England has put together a schedule for when players will rest, stokes , buttler, archer, curran, etc are all due to be rested at some point, part of the plan is to rest them from international cricket so they can prepare for the w20 with IPL, he didnt choose or be allowed, it was planned, England then decided last second to ask him to stay, but by then it was too late and he is coming home.

I dont see the same energy of criticism for the other players mentioned above who will have already or will skip international cricket for the IPL as per Englands plan, all it does is justify the OP.

 

[jeeteshssaxena]

So much fuss for this average player. It was agreed he would go back to England at this point before the tour started. Root has now apologised for miss wording his statement. Yet we are still hearing about this. Absolutely ridiculous. Moen Ali seems like he needs to be told he is important to feel comfortable. Also the fact he is always bringing up his ethnicity and how he is treated due to this, shows he struggles to deal with criticism. I have only see him being criticised when he hasn't performed.

He was England's best player in the last match, that’s why some media outlets and commentators are making a huge deal of this issue.
He might be average but I think he is still better than any other English Spinner(or maybe on par with leach) combine that with his batting and you get a good combo.
Anyways leaving/staying should always be the choice of the player but then he should be ready to face consequences like getting dropped because his replacement performed better .

 

[DeadlyVenom]

Did you say the same thing about Butler, Stokes, Archer, Curran, Bairstow, Wood?

Did you take into consideration that regardless of IPL / T20, Moeen has been on the road for 3 months during which he hasn’t seen his young kids and contracted Covid?

And the fact that Moeen doesn’t have a Test contract so he earns more from an IPL season than a whole year with England?

Yep I would say for any player in similar circumstances.

 

[Sherlock]

I've read some idiotic replies before, but this comments in here are pretty pathetic.

Moeen had agreed to leave the tour weeks ago as specified in the article. Root should've pointed that out but instead worded his statement as if Moeen was leaving because he wanted to.

If you don't know wth is going in the UK with the right-wing media and the trolls online I suggest you research a little as to what that could mean for people like Moeen Ali.

It's git nothing to do with how good or average a player is, it's got to do with the correct messaging.

 

[JaDed]

Good on root to admit it , posters here won’t .

 

[Markhor]

Although Ed Smith wanted Moeen to stay for another Test, Moeen leaving after the 2nd Test was pre-arranged like with other all-format English players. So the word "chosen" opened Moeen up to unnecessary trolling.

I don't believe Root meant any malice - Azeem Rafiq has said Joe Root was one of the few Yorkshire cricketers who supported him throughout his troubles. It was more clumsiness on his part.

 

[DeadlyVenom]

I've read some idiotic replies before, but this comments in here are pretty pathetic.

Moeen had agreed to leave the tour weeks ago as specified in the article. Root should've pointed that out but instead worded his statement as if Moeen was leaving because he wanted to.

If you don't know wth is going in the UK with the right-wing media and the trolls online I suggest you research a little as to what that could mean for people like Moeen Ali.

It's git nothing to do with how good or average a player is, it's got to do with the correct messaging.

What do you think it would mean for Moeen? Yeah some elements of the press are gutter level but almost every article ever about Moeen has been positive....and the only reason he gets so many written about him are his big beard. Moeen is a role model to young asian kids and the media have generally presented a very positive message around him, despite his deeply mediocre performances.

The team has apologised profusely for the way it's been miscommunicated and its time to move on from the incident.

 

[LeedsGreen]

Although Ed Smith wanted Moeen to stay for another Test, Moeen leaving after the 2nd Test was pre-arranged like with other all-format English players. So the word "chosen" opened Moeen up to unnecessary trolling.

I don't believe Root meant any malice - Azeem Rafiq has said Joe Root was one of the few Yorkshire cricketers who supported him throughout his troubles. It was more clumsiness on his part.

if ed smith wanted moeen to play tests so much he should've thought about that when
A) taking away his central contract- moeen is the '3rd' spinner at this tour and him leaving for this test on paper does not affect the england side massively ( it would be different if no other spinner was available)
\
B) allowing agreements to be made for players( plural ie more than one-for those who forget) to return home at set times- once an agreement is made then how can you turn on someone for meeting his side of a deal

C) had moeen had his mind changed and played and performed badly - the same commentators would point to this situation and claim he was froced back and wasnt prepared for more games and was mentally back home

D) whether he plays ipl or not is irrelevant to the agreement clearly made and he is simply honouring what was agreed by all parties
the whole situation has been blown out of proportion and root is a good guy who was tired and misspoke and probably still cant understand why such a great deal has been made out of a very simple thing as this england set up clearly has strength in depth and the luxury of being able to rotate in order to protect the mental health of its players as seen in the case of bairstow in particular.

as south asian commentators on here show the typical stereotypical reactions to such things branding people weak and mental midgits -i suggest you take a long hard look at yourselves and keep quiet before repeating such embarrassing statements

 

[LeedsGreen]

What do you think it would mean for Moeen? Yeah some elements of the press are gutter level but almost every article ever about Moeen has been positive....and the only reason he gets so many written about him are his big beard. Moeen is a role model to young asian kids and the media have generally presented a very positive message around him, despite his deeply mediocre performances.

The team has apologised profusely for the way it's been miscommunicated and its time to move on from the incident.

189 test wickets at the best strike rate seen for an english spinner in a very very long time (better than swann) and yet deeply average?

 

[Firebat]

Chris Silverwood apologises to Moeen Ali

Coach Chris Silverwood has apologised to all-rounder Moeen Ali for the manner in which England confirmed he will miss the final two India Tests.

Captain Joe Root said Moeen had "chosen" to leave, although his exit had been planned for some time.

"We are sorry the impression we gave was that Moeen is being treated differently to other people. He isn't," said Silverwood.

"The decision for him to go home was ours and we will own that decision."

It had been planned for Moeen, 33, to miss the final two Tests in Ahmedabad, but England approached him over staying in India on the fourth day of the second Test in Chennai.

After it was decided that Moeen would leave, Root told the media following England's 317-run defeat: "It's come to a point where he wants to get out of the bubble."

Realising he had not expressed himself clearly enough, Root reiterated his support for Moeen going home in a conversation with him at the team hotel.

Under England's rotation policy, Ben Stokes, Jofra Archer, Jos Buttler, Jonny Bairstow, Sam Curran and Mark Wood have been rested from some Tests this winter.

"The decision for Moeen to go home was ours, as it was with the other players," said Silverwood.

Moeen spent 14 days in isolation after testing positive for coronavirus in Sri Lanka in January. When he recovered, he revealed he was due to be rested for the last two Tests of the India series.

He was recalled to play in the second Test - his first for 18 months - where his match totals of eight wickets and 49 runs were the best by an England player.

England asked him to stay for the remainder of the Tests and rest during the limited-overs part of the tour.

"It was a unique situation with Moeen, the fact that he had spent so long in isolation getting Covid out in Sri Lanka and how he'd just broken back into the team," said Silverwood.

"The question was posed to him but ultimately we felt it was the right decision for him to go home."

https://www.bbc.com/sport/cricket/56097118

 

[Markhor]

if ed smith wanted moeen to play tests so much he should've thought about that when
A) taking away his central contract- moeen is the '3rd' spinner at this tour and him leaving for this test on paper does not affect the england side massively ( it would be different if no other spinner was available)
\
B) allowing agreements to be made for players( plural ie more than one-for those who forget) to return home at set times- once an agreement is made then how can you turn on someone for meeting his side of a deal

C) had moeen had his mind changed and played and performed badly - the same commentators would point to this situation and claim he was froced back and wasnt prepared for more games and was mentally back home

D) whether he plays ipl or not is irrelevant to the agreement clearly made and he is simply honouring what was agreed by all parties
the whole situation has been blown out of proportion and root is a good guy who was tired and misspoke and probably still cant understand why such a great deal has been made out of a very simple thing as this england set up clearly has strength in depth and the luxury of being able to rotate in order to protect the mental health of its players as seen in the case of bairstow in particular.

as south asian commentators on here show the typical stereotypical reactions to such things branding people weak and mental midgits -i suggest you take a long hard look at yourselves and keep quiet before repeating such embarrassing statements

All good points. It's not a ringing endorsement of Ed Smith's man management skills either - what kind of message is he sending to Jack Leach and Dom Bess that he doesn't trust them enough so he's begging England's 3rd spinner to stay on ?

 

[DeadlyVenom]

189 test wickets at the best strike rate seen for an english spinner in a very very long time (better than swann) and yet deeply average?

You can cut the statistics until you find one that makes him look somewhat acceptable but he has pretty woeful stats overall.

 

[LeedsGreen]

You can cut the statistics until you find one that makes him look somewhat acceptable but he has pretty woeful stats overall.

wickets taken is the most basic stat and in tests hes taken 189- take your agenda elsewhere and leave moeen alone as for comments about his ethnicity- why should he not bring it up? as a british pakistani to me moeen is a legend and deserves the utmost respect as probably the best role model we have in sport and i love the fact that he respects and does not hide his religion or ethnicity.

 

[PakPremi]

You can cut the statistics until you find one that makes him look somewhat acceptable but he has pretty woeful stats overall.

Are they really poor for an all rounder. No one is saying he is one of the best.

 

[LeedsGreen]

So much fuss for this average player. It was agreed he would go back to England at this point before the tour started. Root has now apologised for miss wording his statement. Yet we are still hearing about this. Absolutely ridiculous. Moen Ali seems like he needs to be told he is important to feel comfortable. Also the fact he is always bringing up his ethnicity and how he is treated due to this, shows he struggles to deal with criticism. I have only see him being criticised when he hasn't performed.

shock mamoon jnr again puppeting his master- he has rarely brought up his ethnicity in negative ways and if anything uses it to spread positivity... you should try it..

 

[LeedsGreen]

Are they really poor for an all rounder. No one is saying he is one of the best.

exactly he wont be in the running for any ATG awards but he has been a very solid player who has some noticable performances and won his team test matches on occasion and was the best spinner in the country for a period

 

[Abdullah719]

Although Ed Smith wanted Moeen to stay for another Test, Moeen leaving after the 2nd Test was pre-arranged like with other all-format English players. So the word “chosen” opened Moeen up to unnecessary trolling.

I don’t believe Root meant any malice - Azeem Rafiq has said Joe Root was one of the few Yorkshire cricketers who supported him throughout his troubles. It was more clumsiness on his part.

He definitely didn’t, but the malice and undertones in some posters’ comments in this thread (and the other one) are visible from miles off…

Just say you don’t like the guy for whatever reason, no need to beat about the bush.

 

[DeadlyVenom]

Are they really poor for an all rounder. No one is saying he is one of the best.

Still quite poor, more like a bits and pieces than an allrounder although I genuinely like Moeen the man and what he represents.

It cannot be overrstated how big an effect it has on people to see a bearded Muslim playing for England. Putting the social aspects aside though he is quite poor and there is no point arguing otherwise.

He had soooooo much potential and hasn't achieved what he was capable of.

 

[Varun]

The next game of cricket Moeen Ali (Test Bat Av: 28 Test Bowling Av: 36) will choose to play:

 

[gazza619]

He chose, we chose, she chose, they chose, Gosh, English can be way too soft sometimes with defence and offence.

Doesnt matter, the guy needed a break and he got the break. No need to clarify anything to anyone, and specially not to the media.

 

[Hasan123]

What his ability as cricketer has anything to do with this?

I'm getting the impression there is so much fuss about him because of his ability. Why do we need to hear everyday about Moen Ali being avaliable or not avaliable? He doesn't make England any weaker.

 

[Hasan123]

In public after the match, he used word which implied Mooen was committed and many people jumped on this and slated Moeen. This is despite every other player being backed and supported for the same situation.

Now a few days later, Root has privately apologised for this knowing how unfair he was. How is that ‘too much fuss’? And what does it have to do with his skill level.

If you were facing racism and double standards and work and complained but were met with ‘but you’re just average at your job...’ how would that make you feel?

I don't see any rasicm, it was a misunderstanding of words. And I don't rate him as a player. Do you want me to lie and say I rate him?

 

[Hasan123]

Ah here we go another hater using this as an opportunity to slate Moeen further. You do know it isn’t him who’s asked for this reaction. The guy has accepted Roots apology and moved on. How others react or what is said in the media shouldn’t be used to knock Moeen.

I have been consistent on my views on Moen. If I don't rate a player how does that make me a hater?

 

[Hasan123]

He was England's best player in the last match, that’s why some media outlets and commentators are making a huge deal of this issue.
He might be average but I think he is still better than any other English Spinner(or maybe on par with leach) combine that with his batting and you get a good combo.
Anyways leaving/staying should always be the choice of the player but then he should be ready to face consequences like getting dropped because his replacement performed better .

It is 1 game. Over the whole series is he really going to be a massive influence? It was his consistent loose balls which put England under further pressure.

 

[Hasan123]

shock mamoon jnr again puppeting his master- he has rarely brought up his ethnicity in negative ways and if anything uses it to spread positivity... you should try it..

You might want to read my comments on other Moen threads. I have never been a big fan of him as a player. If you think that makes me a puppet Mamoon, I can't do anything if he has the same opinion as me. Since your logic is if people have the same opinion they are puppets. You are a puppet as well because you share many opinions views on Moen. So you are a puppet as well.

Someone giving a different opinion to you doesn't make them a hater or negative. You need to understand people have different opinions and not run to name calling when it's a different opinion.

 

[CricketCartoons]

That this is making news shows that Moeen is considered an outsider and the establishment doesn't want negative press. If it was Stokes, then Root may well have apologized in person, but it wouldn't have made news.

 

[Forum363]

I don't see any rasicm, it was a misunderstanding of words. And I don't rate him as a player. Do you want me to lie and say I rate him?

Misunderstanding of words only for the Asian cricketer after the history of racial prejudice in English cricket.

I’ve grown up in England and played cricket admittedly only to club and university level. The level of racism towards Asians is ridiculous. I have never experienced anything like it in any other sport or activity or walk of life. From my friends who are county level, this continues all the way up. And Roots comments about Moeen show it’s still prevalent in the team.

And how much you rate him doesn’t matter at all. Racism is racism.

 

[BigShak]

I have been consistent on my views on Moen. If I don't rate a player how does that make me a hater?

It makes you a hater when you try to criticise the player at any given opportunity. He’s not done anything wrong in this case yet we have you talking about how he supposedly wants to be told that he’s important and bringing up him playing the race/ethnicity card when again that isn’t even the case.

 

[Varun]

Misunderstanding of words only for the Asian cricketer after the history of racial prejudice in English cricket.

I’ve grown up in England and played cricket admittedly only to club and university level. The level of racism towards Asians is ridiculous. I have never experienced anything like it in any other sport or activity or walk of life. From my friends who are county level, this continues all the way up. And Roots comments about Moeen show it’s still prevalent in the team.

And how much you rate him doesn’t matter at all. Racism is racism.

It's not even like England have ever been any good.

South African imports and an Irish captain give them the few glory days in modern cricket. The rest are the Michael Vaughan types who are more successful Sky commentators than cricket players.

 

[Saj]

What's happened is that some ex players and some in the media have tried to portray Moeen as the villain here by suggesting he walked away from the squad despite the team management pleading with him to stay in India.

The reality is that it had already been agreed that Moeen would return to England after the 2nd Test.

To try to make him stay after a difficult tour was harsh from the team management.

 

[shaz619]

The next game of cricket Moeen Ali (Test Bat Av: 28 Test Bowling Av: 36) will choose to play:

Mo choosing to play with Kohli:

 

[shaz619]

You can cut the statistics until you find one that makes him look somewhat acceptable but he has pretty woeful stats overall.

He has a better S/R then Swann and Laker, with almost 200 Test wickets; it is fair to say he has over achieved as bowler. With the bat you want more, but he agreed with the team requirements and batted at almost every position in the line up so it's funny when his loyalties are questioned ignorantly, that hindered his development the lack of a role, despite that he has been a decent match winner, his MOM awards indicate this relative to some of the other big names in the team and the performances at home have been great and beyond that especially against India and to an extent Pakistan to. Mo is not perfect but he's the best we have in the country and has offered more utility compared to other options, no doubt he has been given fantastic oppourtunities but it is wrong to presume it has been a smooth journey for him throughout, the latest episode is an example. While there are those who support him due to how he looks, then there are those who appreciate his impact/utility and all he has done for the game, then there are others who turn against him due to their own personal views, and also those who are just racist, which one are you ?

 

[shaz619]

All good points. It's not a ringing endorsement of Ed Smith's man management skills either - what kind of message is he sending to Jack Leach and Dom Bess that he doesn't trust them enough so he's begging England's 3rd spinner to stay on ?

Even as a Mo fan, this is why I felt dropping Bess was a very radical move. At the End of the day it all comes down to prioritise to and for England, they have made the decision that Mo offers more value to the T20 team and is a part of their plans for the World T20 in India, this series isn't so much of a big deal in comparison which is surprising, but at the same time until the very last moment, Ed Smith has viewed Mo as a LOI specialist.

 

[IMMY69]

Here's my piece re Moeen..

I think he's one of the most naturally gifted cricketers ever...
He's done the job with the bat on many occasions and that's often batting as low as 7 or 8.

He's actually got an extremely decent bowling record too, highest wicket taker in the world in the twelve month period leading up to the 2019 Ashes series. Plays one game and then gets dropped.

He's also produced in first class cricket, captaining and winning the English T20 Tournament.

He would get into most teams around the world and probably by now be batting somewhere in the top 6..

So yes he has been treated harshly

 

[Hasan123]

It makes you a hater when you try to criticise the player at any given opportunity. He’s not done anything wrong in this case yet we have you talking about how he supposedly wants to be told that he’s important and bringing up him playing the race/ethnicity card when again that isn’t even the case.

I don't criticise him af any opportunity. When he has played well I have said it and when he doesn't I will say it. You clearly don't understand that people have different opinions.

 

[Hasan123]

Misunderstanding of words only for the Asian cricketer after the history of racial prejudice in English cricket.

I’ve grown up in England and played cricket admittedly only to club and university level. The level of racism towards Asians is ridiculous. I have never experienced anything like it in any other sport or activity or walk of life. From my friends who are county level, this continues all the way up. And Roots comments about Moeen show it’s still prevalent in the team.

And how much you rate him doesn’t matter at all. Racism is racism.

If it's racist for you, that's your opinion. I'm not on here to discuss who is racist and who isn't.

I can't be racist to Moen when we are both British Asians btw.

 

[DeadlyVenom]

He has a better S/R then Swann and Laker, with almost 200 Test wickets; it is fair to say he has over achieved as bowler. With the bat you want more, but he agreed with the team requirements and batted at almost every position in the line up so it's funny when his loyalties are questioned ignorantly, that hindered his development the lack of a role, despite that he has been a decent match winner, his MOM awards indicate this relative to some of the other big names in the team and the performances at home have been great and beyond that especially against India and to an extent Pakistan to. Mo is not perfect but he's the best we have in the country and has offered more utility compared to other options, no doubt he has been given fantastic oppourtunities but it is wrong to presume it has been a smooth journey for him throughout, the latest episode is an example. While there are those who support him due to how he looks, then there are those who appreciate his impact/utility and all he has done for the game, then there are others who turn against him due to their own personal views, and also those who are just racist, which one are you ?

I love him for his impact as a person and how he is a confident British Muslim. It sends a good message to our future generation here that they can get to the top no matter what they achieve and he is certainly better than many coconut tv stars and alky boxers.

But yeah as a player he isn't all that. No harm saying it. Just because the rest of the country is rubbish too doesn't make him much better.

I don't support this though. Had he decided to stay on he could have really shown how determined he is to play at the highest levels for England when his country needed him. Yet he remembered his family during tests but will come back during T20/IPL. Sorry but that's just poor from any player.

 

[Forum363]

The next game of cricket Moeen Ali (Test Bat Av: 28 Test Bowling Av: 36) will choose to play:

What about the England t20 series....?

 

[BigShak]

I don't criticise him af any opportunity. When he has played well I have said it and when he doesn't I will say it. You clearly don't understand that people have different opinions.

Mate re read your first post on this thread. youve clearly used this case as a chance to criticise him and that just proves youre another one of the self hating british asians who are just jealous of seeing their others from your community making it to the top.

 

[Forum363]

If it's racist for you, that's your opinion. I'm not on here to discuss who is racist and who isn't.

I can't be racist to Moen when we are both British Asians btw.

I never said you were being racist.

If you don't think cases of bias subconscious or otherwise are examples of racism then that isn't just your opinion, you are mistaken.

Racism is the prejudice / discrimination faced by an individual due to their race. This is exactly what happened in this scenario. Moeen was treated differently and there is no other explanation for it. He is a likeable member of the team who has never had any complaints about his behaviour or commitment.

You can try to trivialise it by saying 'oh it was just a misunderstanding of words' but that doesn't change the fact the management explicitly asked him to stay, which they didn't do for anyone else and that he was then thrown under the bus, unlike the other players where the management took ownership.

Tell me something, if this isn't a big deal, why are Root and Silverwood apologising? Surely a misunderstanding of words is not worth openly apologising for.

 

[Forum363]

I love him for his impact as a person and how he is a confident British Muslim. It sends a good message to our future generation here that they can get to the top no matter what they achieve and he is certainly better than many coconut tv stars and alky boxers.

But yeah as a player he isn't all that. No harm saying it. Just because the rest of the country is rubbish too doesn't make him much better.

I don't support this though. Had he decided to stay on he could have really shown how determined he is to play at the highest levels for England when his country needed him. Yet he remembered his family during tests but will come back during T20/IPL. Sorry but that's just poor from any player.

So he should have stayed on for the Tests, a gruelling format where he was not given a central contract, and extend the already 3 month long quarantine he has, as opposed to going home to see his family and coming back for the t20s and IPL in year where there is a World t20 in India and his income would likely more than double for the year, again because he wasn't given a full central contract?

If his country needed him, they should have stood by him. They made a plan, he outperformed everyone and they tried to get him to make a decision which was detrimental to him.

 

[BunnyRabbit]

I didn't pay much heed to when the racism stuff in English Cricket news started coming out. But now I am inclined to believe, there does exist racism especially for British Asians. Moeen is a mentally tough cookie. He will come back and do well. But i don't think he should be playing ahead of Bess in tests who is a better spinner. Moeen could get a look in as an allrounder only. He is invaluable in the shorter formats though.

 

[viveks]

No idea why cricket fans or sports fans in general find the need to "criticize" someone's personal or professional decisions in the first place. It's not like you're close friends with the guy that he needs life advice from you, let him do what he wants.

 

[ManFan]

Root doesn’t need to apologize.

 

[Rana]

So much fuss for this average player. It was agreed he would go back to England at this point before the tour started. Root has now apologised for miss wording his statement. Yet we are still hearing about this. Absolutely ridiculous. Moen Ali seems like he needs to be told he is important to feel comfortable. Also the fact he is always bringing up his ethnicity and how he is treated due to this, shows he struggles to deal with criticism. I have only see him being criticised when he hasn't performed.

This is quite hypocritical of you.

You had no issues with Mushfiqur Rahim being the only Bangladeshi player opting out of the Pakistan tour and you said Pakistanis should respect his personal decision,

But now, It is ridiculous in the case of Moeen Ali.

 

[sensible-indian-fan]

Root doesn’t need to apologize.

I think he had to.

Was the right thing to do.

It's a small misunderstanding but one with that hurts Moeen's image a LOT.

 

[Hasan123]

I never said you were being racist.

If you don't think cases of bias subconscious or otherwise are examples of racism then that isn't just your opinion, you are mistaken.

Racism is the prejudice / discrimination faced by an individual due to their race. This is exactly what happened in this scenario. Moeen was treated differently and there is no other explanation for it. He is a likeable member of the team who has never had any complaints about his behaviour or commitment.

You can try to trivialise it by saying 'oh it was just a misunderstanding of words' but that doesn't change the fact the management explicitly asked him to stay, which they didn't do for anyone else and that he was then thrown under the bus, unlike the other players where the management took ownership.

Tell me something, if this isn't a big deal, why are Root and Silverwood apologising? Surely a misunderstanding of words is not worth openly apologising for.

I don't need an education on racism.

The reason Root and Silverwood apologised was because they implied Moen was going back due to his own choice. When in fact it was agreed he would go back before the tour started. It has nothing to do with colour of Moen skin. Joe Root has played against and with Moen Ali for many years , if Moen thought he was a rasict i think we would know about it .

 

[Buffet]

Root doesn’t need to apologize.

Normally, he shouldn't have to apologize, but here it was a nice thing to do to not create a poor impression about a player.

 

[LeedsGreen]

I don't need an education on racism.

The reason Root and Silverwood apologised was because they implied Moen was going back due to his own choice. When in fact it was agreed he would go back before the tour started. It has nothing to do with colour of Moen skin. Joe Root has played against and with Moen Ali for many years , if Moen thought he was a rasict i think we would know about it .

you could at least spell his name correctly when hating... it is moeen with two Es

 

[Forum363]

I don't need an education on racism.

The reason Root and Silverwood apologised was because they implied Moen was going back due to his own choice. When in fact it was agreed he would go back before the tour started. It has nothing to do with colour of Moen skin. Joe Root has played against and with Moen Ali for many years , if Moen thought he was a rasict i think we would know about it .

Well according to your post above, racism is black and white.. no pun intended.

Perhaps you should do some research into things like unconscious bias. No Joe Root isn’t openly racist but clearly here he and the team management treated Moeen different from other players. You could argue that it had nothing to do with Moeens skin colour but given the nature of English cricket as a whole, it would make sense.

Why did Root and Silverwood imply that Mooen was going back due to his own choice? Why did they ask him to stay back? When this was not done to any other player. Sorry but ‘a simple misunderstanding’ is not good enough for a cricket board within which racism is strife.

 

[shaz619]

Well according to your post above, racism is black and white.. no pun intended.

Perhaps you should do some research into things like unconscious bias. No Joe Root isn’t openly racist but clearly here he and the team management treated Moeen different from other players. You could argue that it had nothing to do with Moeens skin colour but given the nature of English cricket as a whole, it would make sense.

Why did Root and Silverwood imply that Mooen was going back due to his own choice? Why did they ask him to stay back? When this was not done to any other player. Sorry but ‘a simple misunderstanding’ is not good enough for a cricket board within which racism is strife.

Rooty isn’t everyone’s cup of tea and I get why, but he isn’t as bad as people think. It was a long day and I believe he misspoke / was frustrated, he has personally witnessed as a captain what a benefit it is to have Mo in the dressing room and the value he brings to the team, as a captain you want to field your best XI. Additionally the captain isn’t always aware of the entirety of conversations held with management, the detail regarding the selector asking Mo to reconsider on day3/4 may have been obvious however but that’s a bit much when Mo’s kids were expecting him home after a bit of a horrid period which involved being locked away from the outside world; England in the end decided it was right for Mo to leave on his pre agreed date. Root is not someone who I would consider a racist and in fact Azeem highlighted how he was one of the cricketers who supported him during some difficult periods, additionally Root has also apologised; in this day and age very few would go out of their way to admit a mistake to protect their colleagues image, I doubt this would be possible in India or Pakistan. Root is an esteemed individual and a thoroughbred gentleman, may he continue to show them all that the sun never sets on the empire.

 

[Napa]

The next game of cricket Moeen Ali (Test Bat Av: 28 Test Bowling Av: 36) will choose to play:

While his overall batting and bowling averages are quite poor, he does do quite well at times against India. He averaged 42 with the bat in 2016 in India (though a horrible 64.90 with the ball), and 21 with the ball in England 2018 (taking 12 wkts in the 2 matches he played).

 

[sensible-indian-fan]

While his overall batting and bowling averages are quite poor, he does do quite well at times against India. He averaged 42 with the bat in 2016 in India (though a horrible 64.90 with the ball), and 21 with the ball in England 2018 (taking 12 wkts in the 2 matches he played).

2014 england series.. He destroyed india.

Used to get scary drift with the dukes ball that series.

 

[sensible-indian-fan]

Very talented dude but never built upon it.

Mentally weak (in cricketing context).

 

[Bilal7]

Good on both the captain and coach for apologizing. Both of them have also said that he's still an important part of the test team. Nearly 200 test wickets at a SR better than any of England's other top spinners and nearly 3000 test runs while batting all over the batting order.

He'll definitely be missed for the last two test matches.

 

[Bilal7]

Very talented dude but never built upon it.

Mentally weak (in cricketing context).

A mentally weak cricketer does not destroy a team like India with the ball and nearly save a test match by scoring a century in his second test match.

Being mentally strong is one of best assets. While the likes of Ben Stokes and Jonny Bairstow were crying about being played in an unfavorable batting position, Moeen has batted wherever the team needed him to.

 

[wrongun]

Yes, because English cricket has a racism problem (against Asian cricketers) and here is a blatant example of an Asian cricketer being thrown under the bus while his team mates were given the full support for something similar.

Archer was continuously defended after breaking the rules, lying / hiding it and putting everyone at risk. However Moeen going home as per the plan is made to be his ‘choice’. Words which imply a lack of dedication.

The obvious implication from Root's words though is that Root was trying to be supportive of Moeen, by implying he had not been dropped from the tour, but was leaving as part of a rotation he had agree to by choice.

Seems obvious to me.

 

[Varun]

A mentally weak cricketer does not destroy a team like India with the ball and nearly save a test match by scoring a century in his second test match.

Being mentally strong is one of best assets. While the likes of Ben Stokes and Jonny Bairstow were crying about being played in an unfavorable batting position, Moeen has batted wherever the team needed him to.

From another board:

He's played 61 tests averaging 28.88 with the bat and 36.24 with the ball. The only people in test cricket history to play that much without having either a better batting average, better bowling average or being a wicketkeeper are:
1. Mohammed Ashraful (61 matches, bat avg. 24.00, bowl avg. 60.52),
2. Suranga Lakmal (62 matches, bat avg. 11.60, bowl avg. 37.62)
3. John Emburey (64 matches, bat avg. 22.53, bowl avg. 38.40).

 

[OMB]

Joe Root has spoken to Moeen Ali privately and acknowledged his mistake after leaving the all-rounder open to criticism from supporters by calling his pre-agreed exit from India something he had “chosen” to do.

As a multi-format player, Moeen is the latest to take time out of the three-month subcontinental tour as part of England’s rest and rotation policy that has led Ben Stokes, Jofra Archer, Jonny Bairstow, Mark Wood and Sam Curran to miss Test matches in order to stave of so-called “bubble fatigue”.

England had hoped Moeen might forgo his 10-day break at home following eight wickets his first Test in 18 months. But having spent 20 days of the tour in isolation – he contracted Covid-19 before England landed in Sri Lanka and also had to quarantine in India – Moeen has stuck to the original plan.

Speaking after England’s 317-run defeat in Chennai, Root said: “Moeen has chosen to go home. It’s obviously been a very tricky tour for him. As we mentioned at the start [of the winter], if players feel like they need to get out of the bubble, then that’s been an option. It is really important that we stand by that.

“With Moeen it wasn’t more asking if he wanted to stay, it was a decision he had chosen. Of course we wanted as many players available for as long as possible, but you also want them to be very comfortable here.

“If you look at this tour, it’s been a really difficult one for him, having Covid, being in his room for such long periods of time, and I think we’ve come to a point where he wants to get out of the bubble. That’s absolutely fair enough.”

The comments differed from previous explanations of the rotation policy in which the England management looked to publicly own the decisions and take any resulting criticism. It prompted the former England captain Nasser Hussain to tell Sky Sports that Moeen “had been hung out to dry” in comparison to others.

Root is understood to have since spoken to Moeen back at the team hotel to apologise for implying this was a unilateral decision and reassure him of his value to the setup before he returns home to his family.

Moeen will be back for next month’s five-match Twenty20 series, with the white-ball captain, Eoin Morgan, set to be handed a full-strength squad by the selectors in order to tune up for the T20 World Cup in India later in the year.

Asked if he was happy that the Test side is playing second fiddle to the white-ball format this winter, Root said: “My job is to manage the squad of players that we have here, and I’m trying to do that to the best of my ability.”

Moeen returned figures of eight for 226 in the second Test, although whether he adds to his 61 caps remains uncertain. England are unlikely to play two spinners at home during the summer, while a disappointing 2017-18 Ashes tour may rule him out of travelling to Australia at the end of the year.

Asked about this, Root replied: “Why would it be Moeen’s last Test match? I thought he actually got better as the game went on and showed everyone he’s got skills to perform at this level. It means that he’s not going to play a further part out here but I don’t see why that closes the door on him entirely.”

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2...ecover-from-india-mauling-cricket-second-test

started by saying Moeen did this, moeen did that and then as usual it ended with it is absolutely fair..

Sort of like our infamous Saas bahu TV serials where "behind the back ********" ends with "Khair jaane do, humein kya farak padta hai"

 

[OMB]

I am saying that root could have played defensively and rotated the strike.

 

[James]

Good to see an apology coming from both the Coach & Captain on this one. Owning their mistakes and clarifying their clumsy language. Moeen deserves respect — he has been a very good servant to English cricket and is a quality player. Family comes first. We now move forward.

 

[Bilal7]

From another board:

I fail to see the connection between his career statistics and the assertion that he is a mentally weak player. Does he stop being mentally weak when playing against India given that he has a better average against them than many great bowlers? Please do not make me read such lunacy.

 

[Varun]

I fail to see the connection between his career statistics and the assertion that he is a mentally weak player. Does he stop being mentally weak when playing against India given that he has a better average against them than many great bowlers? Please do not make me read such lunacy.

He averages 32 against India and 48 in India - hardly the stuff of legends.

Anyway, I suppose most people refer to his demeanor, body language and interviews when making that conclusion.

A poor man's Jadeja whose threads go on for pages for whatever reason.

 

[topspin]

I fail to see the connection between his career statistics and the assertion that he is a mentally weak player. Does he stop being mentally weak when playing against India given that he has a better average against them than many great bowlers? Please do not make me read such lunacy.

He was posting facts. The stats show that Moeen is one of the worst cricketers to have played in excess of 60 tests.

 

[Cpt. Rishwat]

He was posting facts. The stats show that Moeen is one of the worst cricketers to have played in excess of 60 tests.

Those 'facts' would probably be better suited to another thread about Moeen, this one is about him going home due to other reasons, not his ability, especially considering he bowled well in the last test.

 

[Bilal7]

He was posting facts. The stats show that Moeen is one of the worst cricketers to have played in excess of 60 tests.

Wrong. Some stats will show you that Moeen is a poor cricketer while others tell you that he's great. The truth lies in between. Some stats show that Azhar Ali and Mohammed Hafeez are better test cricketers than Faf du Plessis. They are not the be all, end all.

At the end of the day, anyone who has actually followed his career knows that he's been a fine cricketer for England. Only nerds would argue otherwise by crying over the numbers.

He averages 32 against India and 48 in India - hardly the stuff of legends.

Anyway, I suppose most people refer to his demeanor, body language and interviews when making that conclusion.

A poor man's Jadeja whose threads go on for pages for whatever reason.

An average of 32 against India for a spin bowler is the stuff of legends. Might want to check your numbers again. So is having two hundreds in India - given that the entire English squad in India right now have three between them.

A mentally weak person lashes out, shows their emotions and is generally speaking, quite insecure. Being calm and collected on the field is the hallmark of an intelligent and mentally strong individual.

His threads go on for pages because he's a good cricketer and because Pakpassion has attracted a lot of mentally weak bigots over the years. The kind that seem to constantly be posting in his threads, despite not rating him very highly as a player.

 

[Bilal7]

Those 'facts' would probably be better suited to another thread about Moeen, this one is about him going home due to other reasons, not his ability, especially considering he bowled well in the last test.

Oh, I wasn't aware he would be able to comprehend this. It was right there in the very first sentence of my post.

 

[Forum363]

The obvious implication from Root's words though is that Root was trying to be supportive of Moeen, by implying he had not been dropped from the tour, but was leaving as part of a rotation he had agree to by choice.

Seems obvious to me.

That is completely wrong. The implication was that Moeen has chosen to go home and be with his family instead of staying on.

Root didn’t need to confirm Moeen wasn’t dropped after he was the best player during the match.