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Moeen Ali: I didn’t think I would do so well against India

Moeen Ali took as many as 19 wickets in the five match Test series against India.

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Moeen Ali © Getty Images
Moeen Ali took 19 wickets in the five match Test series against India © Getty Images

By Saj Sadiq

Moeen Ali made his international debut in February in a three match ODI series against the West Indies but it wasn’t until later in his first Test series against Sri Lanka that he made an impact. In only his second Test, Moeen scored an unbeaten 108 in the final innings of the match whilst wickets tumbled around him as England chased 350 to win. England went on to lose that game but Moeen had made his mark.

It was the next Test series against India though that shot Moeen to stardom. In the third and fourth Tests of the series, Moeen picked up six and four wickets respectively in India’s second innings to wrap India up for under 200, earning England their first two wins of the five match series. Moeen ended the series as the joint second highest wicket taker with Stuart Broad, taking 19 wickets at 23 runs apiece, and was undoubtedly one of the key architects of England’s 3-1 Test drubbing of India.

In an exclusive interview with PakPassion.net, the 27 year old spoke about his recent performances against India, the advice he received from Saeed Ajmal at Worcestershire, the Gaza wristband controversy, his views on the doosra as a potent weapon for a spinner and his thoughts on being booed on home soil.

Excerpts from an interview:

PakPassion.net (PP): It’s been quite a summer for you. Happy with how it’s gone?

Moeen Ali (MA): I’m happy that I’ve managed to stay in the England side through the summer and to perform and win games also which is a good feeling. Yes, I think it’s been a good summer and to top it off Worcestershire have been promoted to Division One of the County Championship.

PP: Your success is of course largely down to yourself but how much credit do Worcestershire deserve for your development?

MA: It’s been an absolute honour to play for Worcestershire, it’s a place I genuinely love and I love seeing them do well. The people associated with Worcestershire County Cricket Club have been very supportive since day one. I had no hesitation in signing a long term contract with them and they’ve had some excellent overseas players and the coaching staff, and my team mates have always been good to me.

PP: You’ve settled into international cricket in all three formats which is a rarity these days?

MA: It’s something that I always wanted to do. I wanted to play for England in all three formats and play a brand of fearless cricket. My approach to cricket is that I have nothing to be scared of so I go out there with a positive mindset whatever the format.

PP: Were you surprised with your success as a bowler against India?

MA: It was a bit of a surprise but I always felt that I had potential as a bowler especially when Saeed Ajmal is telling you that you have ability and some talent as a bowler. I have to admit though I didn’t think I would do so well especially against India.

I received a lot of advice from people whom I trust and I’ve worked really hard on my bowling and thankfully it’s paid off. I expected to do better with the bat this summer but my bowling saved me and to be called an all-rounder these days and not to be labelled a part-time bowler is really heartening.

PP: Any specific areas where you feel you need to improve with the bat?

MA: The main area that I need to work on is to not try to experiment too much and make changes for the sake of it. I started well against Sri Lanka but then I tried to make some changes against India which I shouldn’t have done and instead I should have stuck to what was working for me against Sri Lanka, for the series against India.

People were suggesting that I had a weakness against the short ball which meant that I started to work so much on playing the short ball that other aspects of my batting suffered. I’ve learnt a lot about batting this summer and you have to stay true to yourself rather than trying to make too many changes.

PP: What have you learnt from the opponents you faced this summer?

MA: It was interesting to watch the Indians and their approach to batting and bowling. When you are new to international cricket I think it’s really important that you watch the opposition closely, particularly the experienced players and see what they are doing well and not so well, as it can really help you.

I feel you have to be a quick learner in international cricket and adapt to it quickly otherwise you can become overawed. I feel I have a lot more in me and I have a lot to learn. I’ve done quite well but I think and know I can do a lot better than I have. As well as the opposition, the umpires can also be a useful source of help as I discovered earlier this year.

PP: On the subject of advice from the umpires, I assume you are referring to Kumar Dharmasena?

MA: I asked him about my bowling and if he had any tips or advice for me and he gave me a great piece of advice regarding bowling quicker without losing my drift and he advised me to grab my pocket with my non-bowling hand. It was an interesting piece of advice from him and it’s definitely worked for me and helped me with my bowling.

PP: Do you see yourself as someone who can perhaps influence more Asian cricketers to play for England in the future?

MA: Nothing would make me happier than to see more Asian cricketers playing for England. It would be a great achievement if I could influence one Asian cricketer to play for England in the future.

PP: Are you surprised that more Asian cricketers haven’t made the breakthrough into County cricket?

MA: There are actually a lot of Asian cricketers coming through especially at the academies on the County circuit. I think sometimes what is an issue is that we want to bat and bowl well and sometimes overlook things like fielding and fitness. I think once the message gets through to our young Asian cricketers that it’s not just about batting and bowling and that they need to work on the additional skills too then you will see more Asian cricketers making their way into the first elevens of County sides.

PP: Do you think the attitude of Asian parents in the UK is changing towards professional cricket particularly when they see the likes of yourself playing for England?

MA: Definitely and my father is an example of this. He really helped me and pushed me towards fulfilling my dream of being a professional cricketer. Parents play such an important role and it’s good to see the mindset changing these days with Asian parents backing their children into professional cricket and not just pushing them into the usual professions.

PP: Were you surprised that the Gaza wristbands you wore became such a major issue?

MA: Yes I was very surprised, I didn’t realise it was going to become such a huge issue. I care about my fellow humans and the purpose of wearing those wristbands was for humanitarian reasons and not for any political reason. I’m against oppression and I felt I needed to highlight what was and still is going on in Gaza. I’m glad the wristbands brought the issue into the open and that it became a major issue.

Afterwards I put the wristbands up for auction and hope that they raised a decent amount of money for a good cause and a cause that I strongly believe in.

PP: Were you disappointed that you were told to stop wearing the wristbands?

MA: The ICC saw it as a political statement which it wasn’t in my opinion. My intention wasn’t to make a political statement it was purely for humanitarian reasons. In the end I was satisfied that the message was out there and I was happy to remove them from my wrists once I was told to.

PP: Are you surprised that Saeed Ajmal has been suspended from bowling?

MA: Yes, I was a little bit. For someone who has bowled all over the world for so many years to be called for a suspect action is surprising. Having said that there seems to be a tightening up of the rules and a number of bowlers are being called for suspect actions around the world. I’m really sad and disappointed for Saeed. He’s a wonderful person, a very good friend, but also a very strong character and I’m sure he’ll come through this. I pray for him and hope that he’s back in international cricket soon.

PP: Do you think Saeed Ajmal being suspended for an illegal bowling action is a wake-up call for a lot of spinners around the world?

MA: Definitely and that includes myself. The doosra is a great skill, it’s a skill that a lot of young bowlers around the world want to learn. To be able to bowl the doosra is a brilliant skill and to not have that delivery in international cricket which is the way it’s heading, is a great loss to the game. The doosra is a skill that is keeping off-spinners in the game and for it to be removed just because some people believe it cannot be bowled legally is a sad loss to the game of cricket.

I think a lot of coaches around the world, particularly in Pakistan where you see bowlers with unorthodox actions being produced, will now take a step back and previously where they’d have encouraged bowlers to be mystery spinners, now they will be reluctant to encourage that bowler to be unorthodox and will instead try to change the bowler’s action to an orthodox one.

PP: It’s well known that Saeed Ajmal helped you with your bowling particularly the doosra. Where does that leave your doosra?

MA: I’ll still practice it as I think it’s a great weapon to have and it’s an exciting delivery. When I see Saeed Ajmal bowling the doosra and the way he makes a fool out of the batsman, I love it and it’s brilliant to watch.

I’m going to continue to practice bowling the doosra but at this moment in time but I’m going to take a step back from actually bowling it in a match situation and perhaps concentrate on other deliveries and other technical changes that will help my bowling.

PP: What did you make of the booing and abuse you received from some Indian cricket fans?

MA: It wasn’t pleasant. I think anyone who receives that sort of treatment will not be happy. But having said that I’m a strong character and the booing only made me stronger and more passionate to do well and made me more focussed on what I wanted to achieve.

Yes it was disappointing that people have to resort to that sort of behaviour but it didn’t really affect me and it actually made me stronger and more determined.

PP: Were you surprised at the levels of abuse you received?

MA: I thought there would be some booing but I didn’t think it would be as bad as what it was. You just have to keep on going and who knows maybe at some point in future those that were booing me, may actually cheer for me. If you can come out of this sort of incident stronger, then that can only be regarded as a positive.

PP: What did you make of the Professional Cricketers’ Association chief executive Angus Porter’s comments that you should view the abuse as a positive?

MA: A lot of people didn’t like Angus’ comments but I could understand what he was trying to say. I’ve spoken with Angus whose a very nice man and someone whom I’ve met on a number of occasions, and I understood what his intentions were by saying what he did and I certainly didn’t take it the wrong way.

PP: As a Muslim, do you feel that there are restrictions as far as some aspects of team bonding in English cricket is concerned and how do your team mates react to this?

MA: I don’t have to be part of it. Everybody has a choice in life and some people make the right choices and others make wrong choices. I choose what I feel is right for me and I choose not to be part of the drinking culture and going out to pubs and clubs and getting drunk.

For me it’s about playing my cricket and enjoying my time with my team mates but having my limits on what I will and won’t do based on my religion. My team mates know this and respect this and that’s the way it should be.

(Saj Sadiq is Senior Editor at PakPassion.net, from where the above article has been reproduced. He can be followed on Twitter at @Saj_PakPassion)

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