I am happy to tour Bangladesh, says Moeen
Team can win home series 5-0 for first time ever today In-form Bairstow to keep place for Pakistan clash
Moeen Ali will tour Bangladesh this winter, becoming the first England player to confirm categorically he is willing to take his place on the tour.
Moeen’s decision comes as the players run out of time to make a decision, with the squads for the Test and oneday tours to Bangladesh due to be announced on Sept 14.
“If selected, I’ll definitely go,” said Moeen. “I’m pretty happy with everything and really looking forward to it. I know it is a tough decision for people and it was for me but I am happy to go.”
On Friday Jonny Bairstow indicated he would be going, saying he trusted the advice of the England security adviser, Reg Dickason, but has not “a hundred per cent made a decision”, while Eoin Morgan, captain of the one-day side, is still to make up his mind.
“Everyone’s different and has their own views on things – and as a team, you back other’s decisions,” said Moeen (pictured). “It’s up to the individual. There’s no pressure on anyone. My view is you’re not safe anywhere these days.” Alastair Cook, the Test captain, is understood to have told the England and Wales Cricket Board that he will travel to Bangladesh. England coaches Paul Farbrace and Trevor Bayliss, who were shot at by terrorists on the Sri Lanka team bus in 2009, have also confirmed they will go. England are due to fly to Bangladesh on Sept 29 and the first one-day international is on Oct 7.
This England side have become used to chalking up landmarks with the bat, but today they have the opportunity to make their mark as a team by becoming the first to win a one-day series 5-0 on home soil.
Comparisons with England’s best ever one-day team, the group of players who lost to Pakistan in the 1992 World Cup final, have been made since their world record 444 for three at Trent Bridge on Tuesday night.
In terms of talent this batting line-up is certainly the best and most powerful England have ever had, with six totals of 350 or more in the past year. Since the World Cup England have hit more boundaries than any other team and have a strike rate of 100.98 – a run a ball – five better than closest challengers New Zealand. England’s batsmen have managed 16 centuries in 22 games.
But winning when it matters, under pressure and with a weight of expectation, is the next challenge. They fluffed a 2-0 lead in South Africa earlier this year, but there is no AB de Villiers or Quinton de Kock in this Pakistan team to give England’s bowlers a whack.
Opportunities to win 5-0 are rare in one-day cricket and with a global tournament, the Champions Trophy, here next year, taking an opportunity is a habit they need to groove, especially with only two more home ODIs after today before that tournament.
It should happen today. Pakistan have been woeful in this series, with their coach, Mickey Arthur, admitting they are justifying their ranking of ninth in the world, so the pressure should mostly be in the minds of the England team rather than applied by the opposition.
“It feels different to other series. We’ve got a great chance now to get this whitewash and it will be a massive achievement,” said Moeen Ali. “It just shows how good this side is and the way we’re going. We haven’t really chatted about it. Obviously, it’s in the back of everyone’s minds, but we’re just going to go out there. We haven’t got the brains in the side to talk about it too much – we just get on with it. We just need to keep playing the way we have, actually try to get a little bit better – especially in the field. We’ve been excellent most of the series, and we’re going to try to get this whitewash.”
Jonny Bairstow is set to continue in the side after his man-of-the-match performance at Headingley on Thursday night when England were stretched more than at any stage in the series by the pace of Mohammad Irfan. Jos Buttler did little in training in Cardiff yes- terday and still has a tight quad and hamstring injury that gave Bairstow his late call up on his home ground.
England may opt for one spinner, given the conditions in Cardiff and smaller boundaries. Adil Rashid and Moeen combined to strangle Pakistan on a turning pitch at Headingley on Thursday but Cardiff is more likely to suit the seamers, meaning Chris Woakes could come back in after being rested at Headingley.
“When you’ve got someone like Jonny Bairstow not playing at the start of the series, it just shows how far we’ve come as a team,” said Moeen. “There’s guys who can’t even make the squad who are probably close [to being good enough] to be playing in other teams. It just shows the strength we have…it’s fantastic.”
The fielding is where the coaching team will be working hard to improve this winter, although the presence of Chris Jordan in the team does make a difference. He dropped one chance on Thursday diving in from the deep but few would have made the ground and turned it into an opportunity in the first place.
“We always try to perfect our fielding, or get close to it. We feel like we’re still a long way off that,” said Moeen. “We’ve fielded pretty well still, but we want to be No 1 in the world – and to go along with our batting and bowling, if we can get our fielding right, we’ll be a fantastic team.”
Pakistan are envious of England’s riches. Arthur was shaking his head in fury on Thursday at the sight of Irfan limping off with cramp having only joined the squad from Pakistan a few days earlier supposedly fit after a training camp in Lahore. Their fielding has been abject and their batting a little like watching England not that long ago. Arthur has admitted he needs to find power hitters quickly or automatic qualification for the next World Cup will be gone.
A glimpse of a brighter future has been provided by Imad Wasim, who has scored 137 runs without being dismissed in three games, thanks to his innovative and aggressive style. Imad was born in Swansea, where his father was working as an engineer in the 1980s, so this is a homecoming of sorts to Wales.
“I’m looking forward to seeing that place as well because I haven’t been there for a while. I just went there once. I’m looking forward to playing in Cardiff,” he said.
‘We want to be the No 1 side in the world – and if we can get our fielding right we’ll be a fantastic team’