We’ll tame the Aussie big beasts

MOEEN ALI says he has no worries about taking on Australia’s hostile pace attack during the Ashes after facing down a deadly crocodile in North Queensland yesterday.

The all-rounder’s encounter with the 15ft reptile was part of a visit with Alastair Cook to the Billabong Sanctuary on the outskirts of Townsville.

Last year a handler at the sanctuary was bitten on the arm by a crocodile but Moeen’s meeting with the 800kg beast, including feeding it a dead chicken, passed off without incident.

The croc’s name, ‘Bully’, was particularly apt given that is what Mitchell Starc, the spearhead of Australia’s attack, has promised to do to England’s batsmen when the Ashes start a week on Thursday.

But Moeen, fully recovered from the side strain that ruled him out of his team’s first two warm-up matches, is ready for the bouncer barrage and verbals that will be coming his way over the next few weeks.

“They will definitely come after me,” he said. “It’s not anything new really. I’m looking forward to it and I think they’re going to come after a few of the guys.

“It’s that sort of Test series. I’m not too worried. If anything, you get more opportunity to do something better.

“And if they come after you with the bat you always have a chance of getting wickets.

“I’m not overconfident or down, I’m just ready to play and hopefully I can have a good series.”

Moeen’s perceived weakness against the short ball could mean he is singled out for particular attention on the fast and bouncy Gabba wicket. Starc, Pat Cummins and Josh Hazelwood are all capable of bowling in excess of 90mph.

But Moeen, who will step up his preparations when he plays in England’s final warm-up match against a Cricket Australia XI here starting tomorrow, says he is ready after practising in the nets with a speciallydesigned tray that is soaked with water to significantly increase the speed of throwdowns.

“I’ve been practising as much as I can,” he said. “I almost try to go over the top with it so hopefully it’ll be a lot easier after that. I’ll go out and play as I always do and use my experience.

“I’ve been using the tray to exaggerate the pace with the ball coming at you – it just sharpens you up. It skims off it. I’ve been hit loads of times but the more I do it the better I’m feeling.

“It doesn’t mean you’re going to be the best player of fast bowling, it just means you’re probably going to be better than you were.”

Starc promised yesterday to “blast out” England’s batsmen. Praising Hazelwood, he said: “He’s a bloody genius on line and length and it allows Pat and I to be more aggressive.

“He takes wickets in his own way while we try to blast teams out, intimidate and blast the stumps.

“Aggression plays a big part but it’s only one of the things that wins the Ashes.”

I know they are after me