The Viper
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Moeens bowling has been really good since return. He should bat at 8 and be the leading spinner. His batting has regressed but aslong as he contributes with the ball, his place is secure.
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Moeen Ali - Performance Watch
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Bilal7
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Would you say that he is among the best three or four spinners that England have produced over the last 50 years?
Apart from Swann, I don't remember anyone who was clearly better. Panesar had skills but he had no bowling acumen.
Hasan123
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No one has taken more Test wickets in the world than Moeen since he returned to the England side last summer. Yet geniuses like [MENTION=141114]Hasan123[/MENTION] would tell you he isn’t good enough and Leach should play ahead of him)
Don't claim to be a genius. Just don't think Moen is a good enough spinner outside of England. The performances and facts are all there for to see.
If you want to do banghra over 1 or 2 performances you can do.
Boi
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That’s more than 1 or 2 performances. Includes more Tests outside England than in England
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topspin
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Moeen Ali's last eight Tests<br><br>Wickets: 44<br>Average: 23.34<br>BBI: 5-63<br><br>No one in world cricket has taken more Test wickets since his return to England's side for the fourth Test against India last summer. <a href="https://t.co/KVaSv3xAdI">pic.twitter.com/KVaSv3xAdI</a></p>— Wisden (@WisdenCricket) <a href="https://twitter.com/WisdenCricket/status/1095629155822112768?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 13, 2019</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
That’s more than 1 or 2 performances. Includes more Tests outside England than in England
We can talk about 8 tests against two low ranked sides but the reality is Moeen has been a poor player for England in away tests.
Bowling
Home - Average 32.21
Away - Average 40.58
Batting
Home - Average 37.52
Away - Average 23.86
The stats speak for themselves.
Hasan123
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That’s more than 1 or 2 performances. Includes more Tests outside England than in England
An overall average of 40 outside of Asia is an ATG spinner . No doubt. If that isn't enough an average of 23 with the bat away from home makes him the GOAT all rounder.
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delpiero10
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I don't at all want to suggest that Moeen has been a world beater with the ball outside England, but his poor away average is really off the back off three of the hardest away series any team can play
- 2015 vs Pakistan - when Pakistan were hammering everyone in the UAE under Misbah.
- 2016 vs India - this is the one series where Moeen was genuinely disappointing. But India in their own back yard? Hardly the easiest of tasks.
-2017 vs Australia - we've seen the Aussies make mincemeat of far better spinners than Moeen at home.
The fact that in the two absolute worst series of Moeen's bowling career, he played 5 matches in each of them, has only further skewed that away bowling average.
Again, he's probably not as good as his averages of 23, 25 and 27 in Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and West Indies suggest. But neither is he as bad as an average of 115 in Australia or 65 in India.
His massive drop off with the bat is the biggest concern for me TBH.
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Moeen Ali, the England all-rounder, said selector Ed Smith’s comments that suggested he was not the team’s first-choice spinner had “spurred” him on to wrestle back his spot in the Test side.
Smith, after being named selector last year, dropped Ali for the home series against Pakistan after a poor run of form. Dom Bess was preferred over him, and during the course of that two-Test series and the first three Tests against India thereafter, Ali sat and waited.
Eventually, he got his chance in Southampton, for the fourth Test against India, and his nine wickets in the match was key to England winning the series. Since then, he has played seven further Tests, claiming 44 wickets in the eight matches in England, Sri Lanka and the Caribbean.
Looking back, Ali said the break during the Pakistan series worked out well. "It (Smith’s comments) hit me hard. It was disappointing. I felt like they were looking for someone else. But it spurred me on," he said.
“I did need that break at the time. Maybe if I'd been picked versus Pakistan I wouldn't have bowled well. But I came back against India fresh, scoring runs, and taking wickets and I felt at the top of my game. I still had the belief. To get back in the side and prove I can do the job is ... [pleasing].”
The 44 scalps ensured Ali now has a fine 177 wickets in 58 matches – it’s a return that has surprised the man himself, and it makes him feel like he belongs at the top level.
I feel like I belong. People might think I don't because they think I'm not a proper spinner.
“I've done better than I thought I ever would,” he said. “I must have done okay to get that many wickets. I remember reaching 50 and thinking that was a massive achievement. Someone said 'maybe 100?' and I thought no chance.
"But when you go past some of the greats, you think 'maybe I am a good spinner?' I feel like I belong. People might think I don't because they think I'm not a proper spinner. There will always be good days and bad days but I am improving. I think I can get into the side as a bowler now, even if I didn't bat.”
Moeen Ali has taken 44 wickets in his last eight Tests Moeen Ali has taken 44 wickets in his last eight Tests
That said, Ali has scored 14 half-centuries and five hundreds in Tests so far. But his batting, he said, could still do with some improvement. “It needs working on,” he said. "But I feel set. I will stay at No.8 and I know it. I have got my head around that and it feels natural now.
“Being a bowler, I'm very happy with that. Even if I do well people may say I should move up. But I'm happy.”
https://www.icc-cricket.com/news/1055603
Smith, after being named selector last year, dropped Ali for the home series against Pakistan after a poor run of form. Dom Bess was preferred over him, and during the course of that two-Test series and the first three Tests against India thereafter, Ali sat and waited.
Eventually, he got his chance in Southampton, for the fourth Test against India, and his nine wickets in the match was key to England winning the series. Since then, he has played seven further Tests, claiming 44 wickets in the eight matches in England, Sri Lanka and the Caribbean.
Looking back, Ali said the break during the Pakistan series worked out well. "It (Smith’s comments) hit me hard. It was disappointing. I felt like they were looking for someone else. But it spurred me on," he said.
“I did need that break at the time. Maybe if I'd been picked versus Pakistan I wouldn't have bowled well. But I came back against India fresh, scoring runs, and taking wickets and I felt at the top of my game. I still had the belief. To get back in the side and prove I can do the job is ... [pleasing].”
The 44 scalps ensured Ali now has a fine 177 wickets in 58 matches – it’s a return that has surprised the man himself, and it makes him feel like he belongs at the top level.
I feel like I belong. People might think I don't because they think I'm not a proper spinner.
“I've done better than I thought I ever would,” he said. “I must have done okay to get that many wickets. I remember reaching 50 and thinking that was a massive achievement. Someone said 'maybe 100?' and I thought no chance.
"But when you go past some of the greats, you think 'maybe I am a good spinner?' I feel like I belong. People might think I don't because they think I'm not a proper spinner. There will always be good days and bad days but I am improving. I think I can get into the side as a bowler now, even if I didn't bat.”
Moeen Ali has taken 44 wickets in his last eight Tests Moeen Ali has taken 44 wickets in his last eight Tests
That said, Ali has scored 14 half-centuries and five hundreds in Tests so far. But his batting, he said, could still do with some improvement. “It needs working on,” he said. "But I feel set. I will stay at No.8 and I know it. I have got my head around that and it feels natural now.
“Being a bowler, I'm very happy with that. Even if I do well people may say I should move up. But I'm happy.”
https://www.icc-cricket.com/news/1055603
shaz619
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That’s more than 1 or 2 performances. Includes more Tests outside England than in England
What you on about 1 or 2 performances, Test matches are not played over 2 innings; in the last 2 series away he has been bowling very well on his return. Others in the world have had the luxury of specialist roles yet are not emphatically outperforming Mo as an A/R, Mo has shown his versatility by thriving regardless of what he has asked to do based on the team requirements and is constantly getting better. Moreover, he is one of England's greatest match winners of all time makes the top 10 list for all time MOM's in Tests. So this criticism is shocking based on the past and ignorance really, it's like making fun of Muhammad Ali losing to Frazier even though he would beat Foreman after that; pretty moronic isn't it?
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Bilal7
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Good post. Another factor that must be considered is that Moeen is getting better every series. He should do much better during his second tour of India and even Australia.
After being England's highest wicket-taker in their last two away series, there should be no more questions over his being England's #1 spinner anywhere in the world. All the other English bowlers had access to those wickets too, after all.
Not having a settled spot in the lineup has definitely hurt his batting though. He should be batting at #7 but even #8 is fine, as long as they don't move him back up to #3 after a couple of good scores.
Gabbar Singh
Test Debutant
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Indian cricket fans cheering on someone from Pakistan-administered Kashmir today. 
Rubbish jokes aside hope Moeen has a good IPL, I think he will.
Rubbish jokes aside hope Moeen has a good IPL, I think he will.
- Joined
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England's rivals ahead of a big summer were given a reminder of the team's all-round skills and the depth they possess in their batting line-up by Moeen Ali, who showcased his abilities with bat and ball in an Indian Premier League game at the Eden Gardens.
On a day when Virat Kohli made his fifth Twenty20 hundred – all of them coming in the IPL where he is the all-time highest run-getter – Ali was, in the words of the Indian captain, the one who "changed the game".
Kolkata's Eden Gardens holds unpleasant memories for England, given how Carlos Brathwaite snatched the ICC World T20 2016 trophy from under their noses with four sixes off Ben Stokes' final over. Turning out for Royal Challengers Bangalore against Kolkata Knight Riders, all those memories came back for Ali on Friday, 19 April.
Thrown the ball by his franchise captain Kohli in the final over – the only one he bowled – he was facing another big-hitting West Indian in fantastic form and who threatened to take the game away. Andre Russell was in a punishing mood, having got to 59 off 22 balls, and needing 24 runs in the last over to chase down a target of 214 – not impossible for him at all. Ali, however, kept his cool, going for just 13 runs, and playing a part in having Russell run out.
"This particular ground, World Cup final, Ben Stokes – it's exactly what I was thinking," admitted Ali after the game. "I've given him (Stokes) a lot of stick for that. It did cross my mind. I thought, I'd better get this right or he's going to give it to me back!"
Kohli, meanwhile, was profuse in his praise, happy with the "composure" Ali showed with the ball and intent displayed with the bat. "The length balls were difficult to get away," he said. "But the way Mo came in and batted, it took the momentum from them and put it back in our lap. He changed the game completely and that allowed me to play through.
"[When he came on] he said, 'I'm going to go now' and I just said go for it. He targetted the small boundary, he was smart about where he hit the sixes, he changed the game completely in those overs."
https://www.icc-cricket.com/news/1190118
On a day when Virat Kohli made his fifth Twenty20 hundred – all of them coming in the IPL where he is the all-time highest run-getter – Ali was, in the words of the Indian captain, the one who "changed the game".
Kolkata's Eden Gardens holds unpleasant memories for England, given how Carlos Brathwaite snatched the ICC World T20 2016 trophy from under their noses with four sixes off Ben Stokes' final over. Turning out for Royal Challengers Bangalore against Kolkata Knight Riders, all those memories came back for Ali on Friday, 19 April.
Thrown the ball by his franchise captain Kohli in the final over – the only one he bowled – he was facing another big-hitting West Indian in fantastic form and who threatened to take the game away. Andre Russell was in a punishing mood, having got to 59 off 22 balls, and needing 24 runs in the last over to chase down a target of 214 – not impossible for him at all. Ali, however, kept his cool, going for just 13 runs, and playing a part in having Russell run out.
"This particular ground, World Cup final, Ben Stokes – it's exactly what I was thinking," admitted Ali after the game. "I've given him (Stokes) a lot of stick for that. It did cross my mind. I thought, I'd better get this right or he's going to give it to me back!"
Kohli, meanwhile, was profuse in his praise, happy with the "composure" Ali showed with the ball and intent displayed with the bat. "The length balls were difficult to get away," he said. "But the way Mo came in and batted, it took the momentum from them and put it back in our lap. He changed the game completely and that allowed me to play through.
"[When he came on] he said, 'I'm going to go now' and I just said go for it. He targetted the small boundary, he was smart about where he hit the sixes, he changed the game completely in those overs."
https://www.icc-cricket.com/news/1190118
jnaveen1980
ODI Captain
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Moeen Ali: ‘What has happened to us? There’s so much hate in the world
https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2019/may/20/moeen-ali-england-cricket-world-cup-ashes-interview
Moeen Ali: ‘What has happened to us? There’s so much hate in the world’
All-rounder is wary of social media but proud of his Birmingham roots, as he prepares for a World Cup and Ashes summer
Ali Martin [MENTION=2099]Cricket[/MENTION]_Ali Email
Mon 20 May 2019 07.46 EDT
It’s a woefully wet Wednesday in south Birmingham but, in the shelter of Edgbaston’s cavernous indoor school, Moeen Ali is working on his spin bowling with his older brother Kadeer.
As Moeen twirls away, the two lifelong Liverpool fans are gleefully discussing their team’s journey to this season’s Champions League final. Among the analysis comes a lighthearted quip that their Manchester United-supporting friends were curiously absent from mosque in the hours after Jürgen Klopp’s men wrapped up their astonishing semi-final comeback against Barcelona.
A final set of six are fizzed down to Kadeer, the former first‑class cricketer who now works as an academy coach at Warwickshire and is “mitting” behind the stumps. Moeen then joins the Guardian for a chat on the echoing sports hall’s mezzanine floor, having signed up as our new columnist for this World Cup and Ashes summer.
Beyond the buzz of another famous Anfield night, football has got Moeen thinking big in terms of cricket. World Cup fever is building towards its 30 May curtain-raiser and as a much-loved pillar of the England one-day side that has risen to No 1 under captain Eoin Morgan, he senses a unique opportunity over the coming weeks.
“This morning I woke up and thought about the way this Liverpool side have got people talking,” says Moeen. “It’s not just results either, people have bought into how the club is being run, how they play their football and what they stand for.
“Look at a player like Divock Origi. No one was talking about the guy and then suddenly he becomes a hero. I reckon in playgrounds all around the country kids will now be pretending they are him and re‑enacting that goal. It makes you think, both as a player and as a team, what we could achieve this summer. Imagine what it would be like if we got to the World Cup final and won it.”
Sunnier weather would have meant this interview taking place five minutes down the road at Moeen’s old playground, the municipal park on Stoney Lane next to Nelson Mandela primary where he, his brothers and cousins spent their childhoods living and breathing cricket. It sits nestled in the Balti triangle, a truly diverse and bustling part of the second city, not least during the holy month of Ramadan.
The journey from Sparkhill to the international spotlight – one driven by the passion of his father, Munir, and laced with those luxuriant cover drives – has been well documented during the five years since his England debut; the role model status that comes with it has only grown. Being a positive flag-bearer for British Asians and, in particular, Muslims, during what feel like fractious times is something Moeen has never once shunned.
“I know my responsibilities. They are to my religion, my parents, my wife, my family and my community. People make mistakes along the way. Cricket means I may not always be there for everyone all the time. But when I take the field for my country, I know there are a lot of people I am representing.
“And it’s not just when I’m playing in England but overseas, too. When I go abroad I’m representing England but also the British Asians – or whatever people want to call us – and I know people look up to me. It’s not something I always dwell on or like all the time but I know where I stand with it all.”
He may have swapped Warwickshire for Worcestershire 13 years ago, played 58 Tests and 121 white-ball internationals and now counts the world’s most famous cricketer, Virat Kohli, among his friends, but Moeen has never moved away from South Birmingham.
Indeed for all the trappings that come with being an England and Indian Premier League star, he is among the most grounded you could wish to meet. His streets remain the same, his local gym is the budget one in nearby Kings Heath where his cousins hang out; you might even spot him buzzing around the area in an old Volkswagen Polo (if the keys weren’t missing at present).
“I have always wanted to stay close to my roots,” Moeen explains. “I always said if I played for England I’d never want to change. I mean, everyone changes a bit as they get older but I will never change who I am deep down.
“They have dropped in numbers a bit but I do catch the kids still playing [at Stoney Lane] and see my younger self in them. Last night at prayers I bumped into a guy I played with every day as a kid but hadn’t seen for years. We spoke about the old days for an hour. It was great.”
Moeen remembers a good number of such park players who have drifted out of cricket, a small symptom of the wider malaise that has led to British Asians making up between 30% and 40% of the recreational game but just 4% at the professional men’s level. This summer, he hopes, could be the spark to ignite this largely untapped resource.
“I was so fortunate to play my club cricket at Moseley Ashfield. We had loads of Asians, white players, black players. You grow up from that knowing it just doesn’t matter what religion or culture people are into, everyone is different. We’re all human beings. It’s the same at Worcestershire and with England. We all just want to play cricket. That is the power of sport and cricket.
“Growing up and playing for different teams there were times when you felt, as an Asian player, you needed to be 10 times better to stand out. You’d have stereotypes thrown around – that we were lazy, ate the wrong food, didn’t do fitness or work on fielding.
“But it does cut the other way, too. I do believe Asian players in the past may have given up quicker. They might use the excuses on offer or say they are focusing on education when, in reality, they weren’t willing to do that hard bit, that final bit which sees you break through.
“Because my dad had that drive and passion, we never saw hard work as an obstacle. One of the most talented all-rounders I have ever came across growing up wasn’t supported by his parents like I was and I think that was the difference why only one of us made it.
“But times are changing. Parents are seeing cricket as a proper career now. You’re starting to see the odd British Asian footballer coming through, too.”
In terms of demonstrating cricket as a viable path to players of a similar background, the adage goes that you can’t be what you can’t see. And thanks to Adil Rashid’s similar centrality to England’s one-day side – no bowler has taken more than the Yorkshireman’s 129 ODI wickets since the last World Cup – Moeen at least has not just a teammate with whom to share this responsibility, but a brother.
Their stars have certainly aligned in this England one-day team. As well as being a potentially devastating bat at No 7, Moeen hurries through with the ball, pinching wickets and keeping it tight while Rashid attacks via his variations. The pair are inseparable on England duty. Their friendship was forged when, playing age-group cricket in their teens, they found common ground through heritage – both families originate from the Pakistani Kashmir – and religion.
“It’s strange how our careers have run in parallel before being reunited with England,” says Moeen. “We complement each other, too: he’s a leg-spinner, I’m an offie, he bats right-hand, me left. I truly see him as my younger brother and, as I’m a year older, he shows me that respect. That’s part of our culture.
“There was a time around 2009 when he first broke into the England team and I joke that he got big for his boots and wouldn’t speak to me. But really we are as tight as you’ll get. It sounds strange but genuinely I feel me and him, our careers coming together, was meant to be.”
While it is a slight shame for the message they can spread that the pair closed their social media accounts last year, it is also their choice to make and refreshing in many ways. For Moeen it was chiefly to cut down on screen time and take in more of his surroundings, not least an attention-craving son. But he feels the medium can be damaging to self-esteem if not seen for what it is.
“There is so much negativity on there,” says Moeen. “Do something good, there will still always be that person who is negative. It doesn’t matter in reality but some take it personally. I have seen people in dressing rooms close to tears because of what people say about them.”
By polarising and amplifying public discourse, social media is, in his eyes, a cause of many wider ills too. Extremism is something Moeen rejects in any form, a topic we briefly touch upon when discussing the Easter Sunday bombings of the Shangri-La and Cinnamon Grand in Colombo, two hotels where we stayed during England’s tour to Sri Lanka last year.
“The people who looked after us at the hotel [Shangri-La] were so nice. It was so shocking. I had my wife and son in that breakfast room [where one of the explosions took place]. It’s all such a waste and such a blow to humanity. What has happened to us? There’s so much hate in the world. People just want to get on with their lives and be happy.”
It is a message of peace that Moeen takes into his cricket too, and as we finally look to the Ashes series this summer he expresses concern for Steve Smith and David Warner. In his autobiography Moeen alleged he was called “Osama” by an unnamed Australian player in the 2015 Ashes. But for the returning pair, set to play their first Test cricket since the Cape Town sandpaper affair, he wants only respect.
“I really hope they don’t get too much stick. I want them to enjoy the series. If you have to, keep it funny, not personal. We all make mistakes. We are human beings and we have feelings. I know deep down they are probably really good people. I just hope they get treated decently. I just want the cricket to be spoken about.”
As we wrap up, Moeen heads down to the nets and gets back into his cricket gear, this time for a photo session. The Guardian’s Tom Jenkins was working at Anfield for the Barcelona game and sure enough, as the camera snaps away, the conversation switches back to Liverpool’s European adventure.
Who knows, come the World Cup final on 14 July perhaps Moeen and the England team he so proudly represents will be generating similar talk up and down the country.
https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2019/may/20/moeen-ali-england-cricket-world-cup-ashes-interview
Moeen Ali: ‘What has happened to us? There’s so much hate in the world’
All-rounder is wary of social media but proud of his Birmingham roots, as he prepares for a World Cup and Ashes summer
Ali Martin [MENTION=2099]Cricket[/MENTION]_Ali Email
Mon 20 May 2019 07.46 EDT
It’s a woefully wet Wednesday in south Birmingham but, in the shelter of Edgbaston’s cavernous indoor school, Moeen Ali is working on his spin bowling with his older brother Kadeer.
As Moeen twirls away, the two lifelong Liverpool fans are gleefully discussing their team’s journey to this season’s Champions League final. Among the analysis comes a lighthearted quip that their Manchester United-supporting friends were curiously absent from mosque in the hours after Jürgen Klopp’s men wrapped up their astonishing semi-final comeback against Barcelona.
A final set of six are fizzed down to Kadeer, the former first‑class cricketer who now works as an academy coach at Warwickshire and is “mitting” behind the stumps. Moeen then joins the Guardian for a chat on the echoing sports hall’s mezzanine floor, having signed up as our new columnist for this World Cup and Ashes summer.
Beyond the buzz of another famous Anfield night, football has got Moeen thinking big in terms of cricket. World Cup fever is building towards its 30 May curtain-raiser and as a much-loved pillar of the England one-day side that has risen to No 1 under captain Eoin Morgan, he senses a unique opportunity over the coming weeks.
“This morning I woke up and thought about the way this Liverpool side have got people talking,” says Moeen. “It’s not just results either, people have bought into how the club is being run, how they play their football and what they stand for.
“Look at a player like Divock Origi. No one was talking about the guy and then suddenly he becomes a hero. I reckon in playgrounds all around the country kids will now be pretending they are him and re‑enacting that goal. It makes you think, both as a player and as a team, what we could achieve this summer. Imagine what it would be like if we got to the World Cup final and won it.”
Sunnier weather would have meant this interview taking place five minutes down the road at Moeen’s old playground, the municipal park on Stoney Lane next to Nelson Mandela primary where he, his brothers and cousins spent their childhoods living and breathing cricket. It sits nestled in the Balti triangle, a truly diverse and bustling part of the second city, not least during the holy month of Ramadan.
The journey from Sparkhill to the international spotlight – one driven by the passion of his father, Munir, and laced with those luxuriant cover drives – has been well documented during the five years since his England debut; the role model status that comes with it has only grown. Being a positive flag-bearer for British Asians and, in particular, Muslims, during what feel like fractious times is something Moeen has never once shunned.
“I know my responsibilities. They are to my religion, my parents, my wife, my family and my community. People make mistakes along the way. Cricket means I may not always be there for everyone all the time. But when I take the field for my country, I know there are a lot of people I am representing.
“And it’s not just when I’m playing in England but overseas, too. When I go abroad I’m representing England but also the British Asians – or whatever people want to call us – and I know people look up to me. It’s not something I always dwell on or like all the time but I know where I stand with it all.”
He may have swapped Warwickshire for Worcestershire 13 years ago, played 58 Tests and 121 white-ball internationals and now counts the world’s most famous cricketer, Virat Kohli, among his friends, but Moeen has never moved away from South Birmingham.
Indeed for all the trappings that come with being an England and Indian Premier League star, he is among the most grounded you could wish to meet. His streets remain the same, his local gym is the budget one in nearby Kings Heath where his cousins hang out; you might even spot him buzzing around the area in an old Volkswagen Polo (if the keys weren’t missing at present).
“I have always wanted to stay close to my roots,” Moeen explains. “I always said if I played for England I’d never want to change. I mean, everyone changes a bit as they get older but I will never change who I am deep down.
“They have dropped in numbers a bit but I do catch the kids still playing [at Stoney Lane] and see my younger self in them. Last night at prayers I bumped into a guy I played with every day as a kid but hadn’t seen for years. We spoke about the old days for an hour. It was great.”
Moeen remembers a good number of such park players who have drifted out of cricket, a small symptom of the wider malaise that has led to British Asians making up between 30% and 40% of the recreational game but just 4% at the professional men’s level. This summer, he hopes, could be the spark to ignite this largely untapped resource.
“I was so fortunate to play my club cricket at Moseley Ashfield. We had loads of Asians, white players, black players. You grow up from that knowing it just doesn’t matter what religion or culture people are into, everyone is different. We’re all human beings. It’s the same at Worcestershire and with England. We all just want to play cricket. That is the power of sport and cricket.
“Growing up and playing for different teams there were times when you felt, as an Asian player, you needed to be 10 times better to stand out. You’d have stereotypes thrown around – that we were lazy, ate the wrong food, didn’t do fitness or work on fielding.
“But it does cut the other way, too. I do believe Asian players in the past may have given up quicker. They might use the excuses on offer or say they are focusing on education when, in reality, they weren’t willing to do that hard bit, that final bit which sees you break through.
“Because my dad had that drive and passion, we never saw hard work as an obstacle. One of the most talented all-rounders I have ever came across growing up wasn’t supported by his parents like I was and I think that was the difference why only one of us made it.
“But times are changing. Parents are seeing cricket as a proper career now. You’re starting to see the odd British Asian footballer coming through, too.”
In terms of demonstrating cricket as a viable path to players of a similar background, the adage goes that you can’t be what you can’t see. And thanks to Adil Rashid’s similar centrality to England’s one-day side – no bowler has taken more than the Yorkshireman’s 129 ODI wickets since the last World Cup – Moeen at least has not just a teammate with whom to share this responsibility, but a brother.
Their stars have certainly aligned in this England one-day team. As well as being a potentially devastating bat at No 7, Moeen hurries through with the ball, pinching wickets and keeping it tight while Rashid attacks via his variations. The pair are inseparable on England duty. Their friendship was forged when, playing age-group cricket in their teens, they found common ground through heritage – both families originate from the Pakistani Kashmir – and religion.
“It’s strange how our careers have run in parallel before being reunited with England,” says Moeen. “We complement each other, too: he’s a leg-spinner, I’m an offie, he bats right-hand, me left. I truly see him as my younger brother and, as I’m a year older, he shows me that respect. That’s part of our culture.
“There was a time around 2009 when he first broke into the England team and I joke that he got big for his boots and wouldn’t speak to me. But really we are as tight as you’ll get. It sounds strange but genuinely I feel me and him, our careers coming together, was meant to be.”
While it is a slight shame for the message they can spread that the pair closed their social media accounts last year, it is also their choice to make and refreshing in many ways. For Moeen it was chiefly to cut down on screen time and take in more of his surroundings, not least an attention-craving son. But he feels the medium can be damaging to self-esteem if not seen for what it is.
“There is so much negativity on there,” says Moeen. “Do something good, there will still always be that person who is negative. It doesn’t matter in reality but some take it personally. I have seen people in dressing rooms close to tears because of what people say about them.”
By polarising and amplifying public discourse, social media is, in his eyes, a cause of many wider ills too. Extremism is something Moeen rejects in any form, a topic we briefly touch upon when discussing the Easter Sunday bombings of the Shangri-La and Cinnamon Grand in Colombo, two hotels where we stayed during England’s tour to Sri Lanka last year.
“The people who looked after us at the hotel [Shangri-La] were so nice. It was so shocking. I had my wife and son in that breakfast room [where one of the explosions took place]. It’s all such a waste and such a blow to humanity. What has happened to us? There’s so much hate in the world. People just want to get on with their lives and be happy.”
It is a message of peace that Moeen takes into his cricket too, and as we finally look to the Ashes series this summer he expresses concern for Steve Smith and David Warner. In his autobiography Moeen alleged he was called “Osama” by an unnamed Australian player in the 2015 Ashes. But for the returning pair, set to play their first Test cricket since the Cape Town sandpaper affair, he wants only respect.
“I really hope they don’t get too much stick. I want them to enjoy the series. If you have to, keep it funny, not personal. We all make mistakes. We are human beings and we have feelings. I know deep down they are probably really good people. I just hope they get treated decently. I just want the cricket to be spoken about.”
As we wrap up, Moeen heads down to the nets and gets back into his cricket gear, this time for a photo session. The Guardian’s Tom Jenkins was working at Anfield for the Barcelona game and sure enough, as the camera snaps away, the conversation switches back to Liverpool’s European adventure.
Who knows, come the World Cup final on 14 July perhaps Moeen and the England team he so proudly represents will be generating similar talk up and down the country.
chacha kashmiri
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Top guy, got to see him close up yesterday
He is the new Ben stokes for England
He is the new Ben stokes for England
Gabbar Singh
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Moeen’s spot in England’s odi team is under threat imo. He’s done nothing with the bat for a while (albeit he does come in low down the order so doesn’t have much time to build an innings) and his bowling of late has been rubbish (averaging in the 100s in 2019).
Zaz
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His batting is very very poor He plays airy fairy shots all the time anf gets out with soft dismissals
And his bowling is bang on innocuous
Needs to do a lot better otherwise he ll be dropped soon
And his bowling is bang on innocuous
Needs to do a lot better otherwise he ll be dropped soon
LegendAli
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Swinging the bat without reason, looked awful today.
hadi123
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None of the pundits are really saying much but Moeen Ali has been performing quite poorly of late. His performances are just slipping under the radar.
I think England have a team to carry Moeen through this rough phase. Didn't he just guide England in a chase recently against Pakistan? He is a key member of their side and they will give him a long rope before bringing in Liam Dawson.
BDfanforever
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- Mar 18, 2008
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Another useless quota player.
Cric_lover4487
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If he was white, they would have groomed him to be a middle order batsman who can bowl 4-5 overs. He was a proper batsman with decent ball striking ability when he arrived to the scene.
Mamoon
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Absolutely pathetic again. He has been a complete liability this summer and hasn’t batted with a semblance of responsibility.
Only a matter of time before he does another interview where he reminds everyone for a billionth time about how hard he has worked to reach the top and the challenges that he had to face.
He is a farce and needs to be dropped immediately. The last player in the England squad who deserves a World Cup winners medal.
Only a matter of time before he does another interview where he reminds everyone for a billionth time about how hard he has worked to reach the top and the challenges that he had to face.
He is a farce and needs to be dropped immediately. The last player in the England squad who deserves a World Cup winners medal.
BDfanforever
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There was no need for that shot. He just needed to bat sensibly with Stokes. I am not sure why England brought him back again. They could've gone with Tom Curran.
Mamoon
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He is the biggest weak-link in this side and needs to be carried by his teammates.
Nikhil_cric
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England needs to give Dawson a chance . Brother moeen fails to get going when required.
Hasan123
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He's fallen off a cliff. When his confidence goes he is so bad. Maybe it's time to take him out of the spotlight. Sticking with him isn't working. India ,NZ ,and Australia can take his bowling apart. He has no batting form. So what use is he in the side right now ?
Ashraful_Rox
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He failed against Pakistan and Sri Lanka and only bashed Afghanistan, minnow basher
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The Viper
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Dawson should get a go. Moeen is far too reckless and costs games because he has no patience to stick out.
Smbhayi
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same with Jofra Archer.. They're using him as bowler who can bat bit when he's really a batsman who can bowl bit..
Slog
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Huge disappointment
jonny darko
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Hope Moeen & Adil these two useless passengers get kicked out of the England side and Plunkett & dawson replacing them.
Mueez
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Hasan123
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Time for him to be dropped. Sticking with him isn’t working. His confidence with the bat has gone. Don’t think he makes this team on bowling merit alone.
topspin
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Gutless cricketer. Needs to get his act together, England would be best served if he's dropped from ODIs after this WC.
JaDed
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India will bring him to form.
chacha kashmiri
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He makes imad wasim look good
Sida Sadda
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Should go and book some one to one sessions with his Kadeer Ali
Bits and pieces player.
Bits and pieces player.
Abdullah719
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Moeen Ali's scores in 2019 across all formats:<br><br>0 6 16 31* 19 3 0 0 46* 12 0* 12 13 60 4 0 0<br><br>Innings 17<br>Runs 222<br>Average 15.86<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Cricket?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Cricket</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ENGvIRE?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ENGvIRE</a></p>— Saj Sadiq (@Saj_PakPassion) <a href="https://twitter.com/Saj_PakPassion/status/1153992269797711872?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 24, 2019</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Nikhil_cric
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No coincidence that England's world cup campaign looked better after dropping this guy and playing 5 proper bowlers + Stokes. Stokes is comfortably the better allrounder now.
Madplayer
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He has been really poor since a long time now
sweep_shot
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Moeen lost form completely. He used to be really handy. Time to drop him maybe.
Joseph Gomes
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Moeen is finished. England can find another spinner.
Abdullah719
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Out cheaply again today.
sweep_shot
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Failed again. I think Moeen should be dropped for the Ashes. Horribly out of form.
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The England side has had a bad match so far in batting.
topspin
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Moeen is unfortunately a big stage chocker, as we have seen from him in the last Ashes series and more recently in the WC. He loses confidence very easily and can't seem to find a way to pick himself up.
With all the talent he has, it's so disappointing to see him struggle like this. I think England need to move on from him.
With all the talent he has, it's so disappointing to see him struggle like this. I think England need to move on from him.
The Viper
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His batting has been awful for a while. His bowling is pretty good at home so that may keep him in the side. If leach does well in Ireland’s second innings, then Moeen May be out for first test.
Hasan123
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Australia love targeting players in the opposition team. We know who they will be targeting other than Root in the ashes. Would not be shocked if Moen still plays in the ashes as he usually does well in English conditions. But even if he does well in the ashes, expect him to be beaten black and blue away from home like most times.
A decent cricketer who is overrated by some for non cricketing reasons.
A decent cricketer who is overrated by some for non cricketing reasons.
James
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He is almost useless now. We can’t be far from Mo-Exit.
sweep_shot
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Moeen seems to have declined quite a bit. This series should be his last opportunity to find form.
Hasan123
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Even on a pitch that has something in it for spinners , he is leaking runs. England will probably stick with him and he'll end up having a good performance. Then his fans and cheerleaders will use it a reason as to why he is a hero and all articles about him being a inspiration will be shoved down our throats.
A decent player who is over hyped for non cricketing reasons.
A decent player who is over hyped for non cricketing reasons.
hadi123
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He has been absolutely pathetic recently.
Abdullah719
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Despite his woes with the bat, he's the top wicket-taker in Tests over the past year.
Abdullah719
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On the flip side, Moeen's Ashes record with the ball is horrible...
The Viper
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Always struggled against the Aussies. Leach has to come in next game.
topspin
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Moeen Ali needs to retire
sweep_shot
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He is only 32. Why would he retire so early?
He needs to go back to county cricket and get his form back.
hadi123
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If there was ever a time for Moeen Ali to find form, that time is now!
Gabbar Singh
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He needs to be dropped, lost the plot completely with the bat and isn’t good enough to play as a specialist spinner.
topspin
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Because he's finished and today was further proof of it.
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Former Australia paceman Mitchell Johnson says he "can feel a bit" for England all-rounder Moeen Ali.
Moeen came in for criticism after taking three wickets in the 251-run Ashes defeat at Edgbaston and also making only four runs with the bat.
"I have been in this situation," Johnson said. "I just remember my body language was very similar to Moeen, the slumped shoulders and the head down.
"Once you doubt yourself and don't have that belief, it is pretty tough."
In the last 12 months, Moeen has taken more wickets - 48 in 10 Tests at 25.12 - than any other bowler in Test cricket.
He was England's leading wicket-taker in the West Indies in March with 14 but his form deteriorated and he was dropped twice during the World Cup, not playing in the latter stages.
The left-hander has made four ducks in nine Test innings in 2019 for a total of only 90 runs, 60 of which came in one innings in Antigua.
Against the Australians in the opening Ashes Test when the pitch favoured spin, he returned match figures of 3-172 in 42 overs, while counterpart Nathan Lyon helped spin Australia to victory with a haul of 6-49 from 20 overs in the second innings.
Johnson, who overcame some torrid experiences against England and their supporters to become their chief tormentor with 37 wickets in the 2013-14 Ashes series, told BBC Radio 5 Live's Tuffers and Vaughan Cricket Show: "It's the people that work for you.
"In that '09 series [when Australia lost 2-1] I had a thousand people telling me what to do, all that information coming in doesn't help so it's going back to those people that he trusts."
Moeen has played 11 Tests against Australia, making 476 runs with a high score of 77 and taking 20 wickets with best figures of 3-59.
"His record against Australia isn't that great. I can feel for him a bit but that's part of playing professional sport," Johnson added.
https://www.bbc.com/sport/cricket/49243866
Moeen came in for criticism after taking three wickets in the 251-run Ashes defeat at Edgbaston and also making only four runs with the bat.
"I have been in this situation," Johnson said. "I just remember my body language was very similar to Moeen, the slumped shoulders and the head down.
"Once you doubt yourself and don't have that belief, it is pretty tough."
In the last 12 months, Moeen has taken more wickets - 48 in 10 Tests at 25.12 - than any other bowler in Test cricket.
He was England's leading wicket-taker in the West Indies in March with 14 but his form deteriorated and he was dropped twice during the World Cup, not playing in the latter stages.
The left-hander has made four ducks in nine Test innings in 2019 for a total of only 90 runs, 60 of which came in one innings in Antigua.
Against the Australians in the opening Ashes Test when the pitch favoured spin, he returned match figures of 3-172 in 42 overs, while counterpart Nathan Lyon helped spin Australia to victory with a haul of 6-49 from 20 overs in the second innings.
Johnson, who overcame some torrid experiences against England and their supporters to become their chief tormentor with 37 wickets in the 2013-14 Ashes series, told BBC Radio 5 Live's Tuffers and Vaughan Cricket Show: "It's the people that work for you.
"In that '09 series [when Australia lost 2-1] I had a thousand people telling me what to do, all that information coming in doesn't help so it's going back to those people that he trusts."
Moeen has played 11 Tests against Australia, making 476 runs with a high score of 77 and taking 20 wickets with best figures of 3-59.
"His record against Australia isn't that great. I can feel for him a bit but that's part of playing professional sport," Johnson added.
https://www.bbc.com/sport/cricket/49243866
Cricketrenew
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I feel the problem lies with Moeen being asked to change his action so often.
Hopefully Saqi will let him just get on with it.
Moeen was not happy with the new action you could tell, also he was bowling too slowly, because of this he had no fizz on the ball.
He doesn't need the doosra. When he bowls with his normal action the bowl spins sharply.
It also drifts away. So challenges both edges of the bat.
This is how he has done so well.
For Lords the slope will help him, he just needs to ball with his normal action.
Hopefully Saqi will let him just get on with it.
Moeen was not happy with the new action you could tell, also he was bowling too slowly, because of this he had no fizz on the ball.
He doesn't need the doosra. When he bowls with his normal action the bowl spins sharply.
It also drifts away. So challenges both edges of the bat.
This is how he has done so well.
For Lords the slope will help him, he just needs to ball with his normal action.
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Now dropped for the 2nd Test - is his decline becoming permanent?
Bilal7
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He's the leading wicket-taker in the world this year and averages around 25, even with those two bad games. Once he finds some form and confidence, he'll be back.
Nikhil_cric
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If leach continues performing, I think moeen can forget about another international cap either in tests or on ODIs considering how dreadful he was at the CWC.
sweep_shot
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I feel Moeen would be back. He is a good batsman who bowls useful spin. England are better off playing him than a specialist spinner (specially when they play in England).
Cricketrenew
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Moeen needed Eid holiday....
Another Asian player dropped after a few poor performances...…the England trend that continues...
considering he is the leading wicket taker in the year amplifies the difference in treatment with other players. Other players normally get few games to bounce. Then get given a few more games....
Moeen needs to forget he coaching and concentrate on putting revs on the ball and changing the speed of delivery not being samey all the time....
Another Asian player dropped after a few poor performances...…the England trend that continues...
considering he is the leading wicket taker in the year amplifies the difference in treatment with other players. Other players normally get few games to bounce. Then get given a few more games....
Moeen needs to forget he coaching and concentrate on putting revs on the ball and changing the speed of delivery not being samey all the time....
hadi123
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Stop with your conpiracy theories. He has been rightfully dropped, his race/religion has nothing to do with it.
shaz619
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True and he needs time away from the game but there is a valid point regarding being the leading wicket taker in Tests over the last year and then being dropped after one bad game. Moving forward he will remain in contention especially in asia and potentially at home to as we are not producing world class spinners who are able to cement their spot thus far but lets see maybe Leach will change that
Mamoon
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Moeen has been the leading wicket-taker in Tests for a year, but his horrible World Cup has played a big role in his exclusion.
He has completely lost the plot at the moment and is mentally not up for it. He badly needs some time away.
He has completely lost the plot at the moment and is mentally not up for it. He badly needs some time away.
