Tag: Moeen Ali

BIRMINGHAM: Spin all-rounder Moeen Ali stated Friday that he is ready to lead England in the absence of white-ball captain Jos Buttler.

England’s white-ball captain Buttler and his wife Louise are expecting the birth of their third child soon. As a result, the wicketkeeper batter may miss a part of the ongoing four-match series against Pakistan or the upcoming ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024.

Meanwhile, England’s vice-captain Moeen Ali, who has led the side in 12 ODIs and T20Is, stated that nothing will change if he assumes the England captaincy role in Buttler’s absence.

“I feel I’ve captained enough for England,” Moeen said.

“I’ll be fine. Nothing will change too much, it’s just taking over from what he’s doing and then when he comes back, he takes over.

“Hopefully, the baby comes at the right time where he doesn’t miss too many games.

“For me, it’s just whatever will happen, will happen. It’s not really difficult, to be honest with you, because we speak often, me and Jos. We talk about other things, the team and all that. We’re on the same page anyway.”

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Moeen further expressed his disappointment with the first T20I against Pakistan being washed out but asserted that the upcoming three matches would be enough for the reigning champions to gear up for the title defence.

“It was obviously disappointing (on Wednesday) because Leeds is a great place to go and play.

“Playing cricket is always the best preparation. I know most of the guys have been playing. A few guys have been training but it’s not the same, so hopefully they’ll get some game time.

“These three games should be enough for the guys to get going and there’s a bit of time in the West Indies, a few training sessions. We’ll be fine. There’s no real excuses from our side.”

Notably, the four-match T20I series between Pakistan and England, scheduled to run from May 22 to 30, will serve as a final opportunity for both teams to gear up for the T20 World Cup 2024 as the previous edition’s finalists will skip the warm-up matches for this year’s mega event.

Pakistan squad:

Babar Azam (c), Abrar Ahmed, Azam Khan, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Iftikhar Ahmed, Imad Wasim, Mohammad Abbas Afridi, Mohammad Amir, Mohammad Rizwan, Muhammad Irfan Khan, Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha, Shadab Khan, Shaheen Shah Afridi and Usman Khan.

England squad:

Jos Buttler (c), Phil Salt, Will Jacks, Jonny Bairstow, Ben Duckett, Harry Brook, Liam Livingstone, Moeen Ali, Sam Curran, Chris Jordan, Tom Hartley, Adil Rashid, Jofra Archer, Mark Wood and Reece Topley.

Pak vs Eng T20I series schedule:

2nd T20I: Sat, May 25th
3rd T20I: Tue, May 28th
4th T20I: Thu, May 30th

READ: Pakistan announce squad for T20 World Cup 2024

LONDON: England’s spin all-rounder Moeen Ali, who came out of Test retirement for this year’s Ashes to replace injured Jack Leach, said that he is all done after England won the fifth match at the Oval on Monday.

In response to a query regarding him retiring again, Moeen Ali nodded affirmatively and said he knows he is done before jokingly stating that if Ben Stokes messages him again, he will delete it.

“I know I’m done. If Stokesy messages me again, I am going to delete it! I have enjoyed it and it is great to finish on a high,” said Moeen.

Notably, after first-choice spinner Jack Leach was ruled out of all five Ashes Tests against Australia due to a back injury, England captain Ben Stokes texted Moeen Ali, ‘Ashes?’ to which he replied in the affirmative.

“It was great to come back. When Stokesy messaged me I was a little bit taken aback but when I said yes I was fully into it. It has been an amazing experience to play under Stokesy and Baz (Brendon McCullum).

“I knew the bigger challenge was going to be physical but I am so glad I said yes. It was been an amazing experience and one I will never forget for the rest of my life,” he said after the match.

Earlier, England Test captain Ben Stokes lavished praises on Moeen and also hinted that the management will let him reflect and make his decision about the India series.

“Moeen came in after an unfortunate injury to Jack Leach. I picked him because I knew what he’s capable of. He was just incredible. We’ll let Moeen reflect on everything and make his decision about the India series,” said Stokes.

Moeen Ali made handy contributions with the ball in the fourth innings of the fourth Ashes as he returned figures of 3/76 in England’s 49-run victory.

Australia had already retained the urn after the fourth Ashes Test ended in a rain-affected draw but narrowly missed out on claiming their first Ashes series win in England since 2001.

The reigning World Test Champions started their Ashes campaign on a high by winning the first two matches.

England then hit back by winning the third Test comprehensively and was on the brink of winning the fourth Test until two days of almost uninterrupted rain led to a draw.

READ: Stuart Broad bows out with match-winning wicket as England draw Ashes

England’s all-rounder Moeen Ali on Thursday, amassed a major milestone in Test cricket as he became just the fourth Englishman to 3,000 runs and 200 wickets in the longest format.

Moeen Ali’s 3000th run came on the second day of the ongoing fourth Ashes Test while he had completed his 200 wickets in the format in England’s three-wicket victory over Australia in the third Test.

Coming out to bat number three after England suffered an early blow in the form of Ben Duckett, Moeen Ali scored a gutsy half-century and anchored the innings.

He put on a vital 121-run partnership for the second with England’s first-innings hero Zak Crawley before Mitchell Starc finally got rid of him.

Moeen Ali scored 54 from 82 balls and smashed seven boundaries.

His 54-run knock took him past the 3000 Test runs mark and on to a total of 3,031 runs at an average of 28.06. He has scored 15 half-centuries and five centuries in Tests.

Notably, Moeen Ali became just the fourth English all-rounder to accomplish a double of 3,000 runs and 200 wickets in Tests.

He joined Ian Botham 5,200 runs and 383 wickets in 102 Tests), Andre Flintoff (3,845 runs and 226 wickets in 79 Tests) and Stuart Broad (3,640 runs and 600 wickets in 166 Tests).

In the must-win fourth Ashes Test, England booked Australia on 317 after putting the touring side into bat first.

Resuming at an overnight score of 299/8, Australia could add 13 runs for the remaining two wickets as Chris Woakes and James Anderson ran through their tail.

Woakes led the England bowling attack with a five-for, followed by Stuart Broad‘s 2/68.

In response, Zak Crawley’s super-charged 189 powered England to 384/4 at stumps on Day 2.

The right-handed opener spearheaded England’s run spree with a scintillating knock which featured 21 boundaries and three sixes.

He shared a monumental partnership of 206 runs in just 29 overs with Joe Root, who scored a brilliant 84.

At the close, Harry Brook was unbeaten on 14 with England captain Ben Stokes 24 not out.

READ: Zak Crawley blasts ton as England seize control of fourth Ashes Test

England captain Ben Stokes’s dynamic 80, his latest dashing innings kept the hosts’ Ashes hopes alive before Moeen Ali struck twice in quick succession in the third Test against Australia at Headingley on Friday.

Australia were 116-4 in their second innings at stumps on the second day, a lead of 142 runs, as they looked to go 3-0 up in the five-match series and secure a first Ashes campaign triumph in England since 2001.

Mitchell Marsh, who had already marked his first Test in nearly four years with a brilliant run-a-ball 118 in Australia’s first-innings 263, was 17 not out, with Travis Head unbeaten on 18.

Australia had been in command at 68-1 on Friday only for off-spinner Moeen to take two wickets for two runs in nine balls while removing Marnus Labuschagne and Steve Smith — two of the world’s top three-ranked Test batsmen.

England had slumped to 142-7 at lunch.

But all-rounder Stokes’s brilliant knock took England to 237 all out, a deficit of just 26 runs, despite Australia captain Pat Cummins’s 6-91.

Fast bowler Cummins, however, was happy with Australia’s position at stumps.

“Overall to have a lead is a great effort,” he told the BBC. “Stokes batted well and (Mark) Wood put some into the stands too.”

He added: “Just when one team gets ahead the other team takes a wicket. I’m sure the fans are loving it, but I wouldn’t mind a few less stressful days.”

Ben Stokes also hit a blistering 155 in the second Ashes Test at Lord’s last week as England suffered a 43-run defeat.

Friday’s innings revived memories of Stokes’s Ashes heroics at Headingley four years ago, when his astounding unbeaten century guided England to a remarkable one-wicket win.

Stuart Broad then removed David Warner for the 17th time in Tests, the left-hander caught in the slips for one.

England, however, were a bowler light with paceman Ollie Robinson missing because of a back spasm and Australia were grinding them down until Moeen’s double strike.

Labuschagne, dropped on 33 when under-fire wicketkeeper Jonny Bairstow couldn’t hold a tough chance, hadn’t added to his score when to his next ball he carelessly swept Moeen to deep square leg.

Smith, in his 100th Test and just days after his fine hundred at Lord’s, was then out for a mere two when he whipped Moeen straight to midwicket as the bowler took his 200th Test wicket.

“When Robbo (Robinson) had a spasm I knew I’d be bowling a fair bit,” Moeen, who at stumps had 2-34 in 17 overs, told Sky Sports.

Obdurate opener Usman Khawaja then eventually fell for 43 when caught behind after being squared-up by Chris Woakes.

England had resumed on 68-3, with Joe Root 19 not out and Bairstow, whose controversial stumping exit at Lord’s in the second Ashes Test provoked a furious row, unbeaten on one in front of their Yorkshire home crowd.

Star batsman Root, however, fell for his overnight score to just the second ball of the day when he tentatively edged Cummins to Warner at first slip.

Bairstow then exited for 12 when he flat-footedly drove at left-arm quick Mitchell Starc, with Smith holding a sharp second-slip catch.

But fast bowler Wood, having taken an impressive 5-34 on Thursday, hit Starc for a six, four and another six off his first three balls during a rapid 24.

Ben Stokes, in at 68-4, was reprieved twice on 45 off successive deliveries from off-spinner Todd Murphy.

Starc dropped Stokes in the deep before Murphy — called up after Nathan Lyon’s Ashes tour-ending calf injury at Lord’s — failed to hold a hard-hit return catch.

Stokes went to fifty in style by driving Murphy for six and promptly repeated the dose next ball.

He launched Murphy for another six before he holed out to end a 108-ball innings featuring six fours and five sixes.

READ: PM Shehbaz forms committee to decide Pakistan’s visit to India for WC

LONDON: Right-arm pacer Josh Tongue replaced veteran all-rounder Moeen Ali in England’s Playing XI for the second Ashes Test against Australia, scheduled to commence on June 28 at Lord’s.

Moeen Ali, who returned from Test retirement, suffered a blister on his right hand’s index finger during the first Ashes Test which saw England succumbing to a narrow two-wicket defeat after Pat Cummins’s masterclass.

Meanwhile, Josh Tongue was preferred over fellow seamer Chris Woakes and youngster Rehan Ahmed at the back of his magnificent five-wicket haul on his debut Test against Ireland last month.

Furthermore, Tongue is being foreseen as a cover for right-arm speedster Mark Wood, who was given an extra week to prepare fully for the Headingley Test.

“We needed to get to Lord’s first and see what conditions we were faced with,” England captain Ben Stokes said.

“We wanted to play Mark Wood but we felt while he could definitely start the game, we felt an extra week of build-up and loading him would give him a better chance to play fully from Headingley (third Test) onwards.

“And we brought Tonguey into the team as a like-for-like with Woody. I’m looking forward to seeing Tonguey continue his great start he had against Ireland here.

“Me and Mark are great friends, we go back a long way…I spoke to him about how I’d want him to operate in this game and he was very honest with me. He wasn’t sure if he’d be able to give what he’s known for throughout this Test match. So the decision was made to allow him to keep building his body up to give himself the best opportunity to go out from Leeds onwards to play a full part.”

Ben Stokes further explained the decision of going with an all-pace attack and leaving Moeen Ali out of England Playing XI by asserting that Lord’s offers more to the seamers.

“We turned up here and have seen a lot of grass on the wicket, it is a bit green.

“Traditionally Lord’s offers more for seamers and with how Mo’s finger has recovered, actually recovered really well, I thought we would get more with four seamers and went with Tongue.”

England Playing XI for second Ashes Test:

Ben Duckett, Zak Crawley, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes (capt), Jonny Bairstow (wkt), Stuart Broad, Ollie Robinson, Josh Tongue, James Anderson.

READ: Aashish Chaudhary strikes as Nepal edge Pakistan in SAFF Championship

BIRMINGHAM: England spin bowling all-rounder Moeen Ali revealed his brief conversation with Test skipper Ben Stokes that lured him out of Test retirement and into the squad for the Ashes.

After first-choice spinner Jack Leach was ruled out of all five Ashes Tests against Australia due to a back injury, England captain Stokes’s one-word message was enough to convince all-rounder Moeen Ali to rejoin England’s red-ball lineup.

Consequently, Moeen can now play his first Test, since announcing his retirement in 2021, if gets picked in England’s Playing XI for the first Ashes Test, scheduled at Edgbaston, in his home city of Birmingham.

“Stokesy messaged me with a question mark — ‘Ashes?’,” Moeen told reporters here on Tuesday.

Moeen Ali claimed that he was unaware of Jack Leach’s back injury and assumed Stokes was kidding.

“Then the news came through and I had a chat with him,” he said. “That was it. It’s the Ashes. To be part of it would be amazing.”

Apparently, his growing friendship with Stokes — the duo were teammates in Chennai Super Kings during this year’s Indian Premier League — made the difference.

While responding to a question if any other captain could have lured him out of the Test retirement, Moeen Ali unhesitantly replied: “Probably not, no.”

Moeen also told the media here that he is thrilled to be a part of England’s quest for its first Ashes series victory since 2015.

“The fact that it is the Ashes and it is such a big series, to be part of it would be amazing,” said Moeen.

England have developed a force to be reckoned with in Tests since Ben Stokes and Brandon McCullum took the reigns of the side as they won 11 out of 13 matches and Moeen Ali also expressed his keenness upon being a part of the exciting brand of cricket.

“There are no question marks over any shots you play, which gives me licence to play a few more rash shots, I guess.

“Even with the ball, he is more on the aggressive side. I know I go for runs but Stokesy also knows there are some wicket-taking deliveries in between. That’s all he cares about.”

READ: Michael Bracewell ruled out of ICC Men’s World Cup

LONDON: Spin bowling all-rounder Moeen Ali has been added to the England Men’s Test squad for the first two Ashes Tests, starting at Edgbaston on June 16.

The 35-year-old replaces Jack Leach, who was withdrawn from the original 16-player squad on Sunday after sustaining a low back stress fracture, which rules him out of the five-match Ashes Test series.

Moeen Ali, who retired from Test cricket at the end of the 2021 summer, has reversed his decision following discussions with Test Captain Ben Stokes, Test Head Coach Brendon McCullum and Managing Director of England Men’s Cricket Rob Key.

The Birmingham-born off-spinner will be looking to add to his 64 Test caps. Moeen Ali has played 64 Tests so far, picking up 195 wickets and scoring 2914 runs and will be looking to better the stats.

He will celebrate his 36th birthday during the first Test at Edgbaston on 18 June.

“We reached out to Mo (Moeen Ali) early this week about returning to Test cricket. Having had a couple of days to reflect, Mo is excited to join the squad and play Test cricket again,” said Rob Key, Managing Director of England Men’s Cricket in a statement issued by England and Wales Cricket Board on Thursday.

“His vast experience, along with his all-around ability, will benefit our Ashes campaign.

We wish Mo and the rest of the squad well for the Ashes campaign,” he added.

Moeen Ali has played 64 Tests so far, picking up 195 wickets and scoring 2914 runs and will be looking to better the stats. The Birmingham-born off-spinner will be looking to add to his 64 Test caps.

He will celebrate his 36th birthday during the first Test at Edgbaston on 18 June.

The England party will report to Birmingham on Monday 12 June. They are due to practice at Edgbaston from Tuesday 13 June.

England Men’s Ashes Test Squad:

Ben Stokes (Captain), Ben Duckett, Zak Crawley, Joe Root, Moeen Ali, James Anderson, Jonathan Bairstow, Stuart Broad, Harry Brook, Dan Lawrence, Ollie Pope, Matthew Potts, Josh Tongue, Chris Woakes, Mark Wood, Ollie Robinson

READ: IPL player apologises for sharing anti-Muslim Instagram story

LONDON: England all-rounder Moeen Ali has opted to withdraw from the upcoming eighth edition of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) to focus on this year’s ICC World Cup, English news outlet The Mirror reported.

Despite several English players prioritizing the lucrative PSL over their team’s scheduled tour of Bangladesh, the white-ball vice-captain, however, has opted to put his national duty before his club.

Moeen had the busiest of schedules over the winter playing 36 games of cricket across three formats. Thus, with the upcoming World Cup being the priority, the all-rounder believes their upcoming tour of Bangladesh is crucial for their side’s title defence in India.

The report further suggested that the all-rounder also seeks to enjoy a couple of weeks at home before his national duty in Bangladesh.

It is pertinent to mention England will tour Bangladesh for three T20Is and as many ODIs from March 1-14, while the PSL will take place from February 13 to March 19.

READ: Babar Azam shows off his ICC accolades

LONDON: England stand-in captain in the recently concluded T20I tour of Pakistan, has ruled out the possibility of making a return to the England red-ball side after he took back his Test retirement earlier this year. 

The 35-year-old also revealed that he would not be part of the England Test squad for its upcoming tour of Pakistan in December.

“That’s a trip I won’t be making sadly. It’s not something I’m keen on doing any more,” wrote Moeen in his article published in the Daily Mail.

England are scheduled to play three-match Test series, commencing on December 1, against Pakistan on the latter’s home soil.

“I’ve had an honest chat with Baz (McCullum) and I can’t see myself being stuck in hotels for another month and playing to the best of my ability. Baz phoned me, we spoke at length and I said, “Sorry, I’m done”. He understands, he knows the feeling.” he added.

Earlier in June, Moeen announced his unretirement from Test cricket and showed his willingness to become part of England’s Test team on their tour of Pakistan.

However, in his recent article Moeen said: “Test cricket is hard work. I don’t think my mindset would be any different even if the restrictions were lifted in Pakistan. I’m 35 now and something’s got to give.”

Furthermore, he expressed that he wanted to enjoy his cricket and it wouldn’t be fair to reverse his decision and then struggle to give it his all.

“With the hectic limited-overs schedule and the franchise leagues I’ve committed to, any opportunity to spend time with my family is precious,” he added.

The England all-rounder announced his retirement from red-ball cricket last year in September after featuring in 64 Test matches for England. He took 195 wickets and made 2914 runs including five centuries and 14 half-centuries during his Test career.

READ: Pakistan team reaches New Zealand for T20I Tri-series

LAHORE: England stand-in captain Moeen Ali disclosed that he was appointed by the food in Lahore, saying Karachi was really good in terms of food. 

Moeen, who led the English side to a clinical 4-3 series win against Pakistan in the seven-match historic T20I series against Pakistan, expressed his opinion about the food in two of the biggest cities of Pakitan.

“Food-wise, I’ve been a little bit disappointed in Lahore. Karachi was really good” said Moeen at a post-match press conference on Sunday after the final T20I. “Maybe I have lost my taste buds a bit” he added.

The all-rounder, however, found the hospitality of both the cities quite overwhelming as he called it ‘one of the best in the world.

“The hospitality (in Pakistan) is one of the best in the World. The people look after you so well and they are so nice to you,” he said.

Talking about the security arrangments during England’s historic tour of Pakistan, England skipper said that the security had been outstanding and way above their expectations.

“We’ve looked after extremely well. We’ve really enjoyed being here after such a long time. It’s been outstanding” he said.

It is pertinent to mention here that England visited Pakistan for the time in 17 years and played their first T20I series against Green Shirts on the latter’s home soil.

READ: Pakistan outclass Bangladesh to secure second win in Women’s Asia Cup