FAME IS A FEAR FOR ALI
Mo is a reluctant celeb
MOEEN ALI is so shy that if he won Sports Personality of the Year he would be too embarrassed to collect it.
But he won’t be coy about trying to show up West Indies for England in the first Test of the three-match series starting at Edgbaston tomorrow.
Ali, 30, is a long shot for SPOTY with the likes of Sir Mo Farah in his way and said: “I would be too embarrassed to go.”
And that’s despite a string of brilliant performances against South Africa that saw him become the first England allrounder to collect 25 wickets and more than 250 runs in a Test series since Sir Ian Botham.
But his starring role in England’s revival under Joe Root and his awesome beard mean he has become a sporting celebrity if he likes it or not. ® Even on family trips to his local farm, cricket’s latest star is asked for autographs and selfies.
Moeen said: “I do get quite a bit of recognition – I think it’s the beard. If people want a picture or whatever it doesn’t bother me and I think it’s nice for the kids.
“But I try to go to places where I think I won’t get recognised.
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“I took my family to the farm the other day and maybe two people there recognised me. “I met someone the other day when the Neymar transfer thing was on and they said, ‘I don’t know much about cricket but I’ve seen you. Neymar was on TV and then I saw you’.” Moeen’s higher profile was brought home last weekend when he was a guest at Watford’s opening Premier League match against Liverpool.
He added: “I went with a friend who told me that I could go if I did a five-minute interview with Watford TV. I ended up going on the pitch at half-time – it was quite embarrassing.
“And I had to tell the Watford fans I was a Liverpool fan! There was a bit of flak but they were really nice. I was surprised how many people knew who I was.
“A lot of people asked me for pictures and autographs.”
England will be playing their first-ever day-night Test with the pink ball and keeper Jonny Bairstow believes fielding sides may benefit.
He said: “Coming out of a dark background, it might be easier to see a luminous pink ball than it would a gloomy red one.
“I am sure it will be a learning curve, for the batters and the bowlers.” ¬