Moeen: Let’s keep Saqlain
England star wants coach to stay for good
MANCHESTER: England star Moeen Ali wants Saqlain Mushtaq’s coaching role made permanent so he can continue to work with him in the upcoming Ashes series following his record-breaking feats against South Africa.
The 30-year-old Moeen, an off-spinner and left-handed batsman, became the first man to score more than 250 runs and take 25 wickets in a four Test-match series during England’s 3-1 win over the Proteas.
Afterwards, Moeen was unstinting in his praise of spin coach Saqlain.
The former Pakistan off-spinner is, however, currently employed by the England and Wales Cricket Board on a consultancy basis only and Moeen said: “If you are going to have batting, fielding and fast-bowling coaches, it would be nice to have a spin-bowling coach for pretty much all the games.
“If I do get on that plane for the Ashes, hopefully I’ll have Saqqy sitting next to me,” he added. “I’d like him to be there. He can help me out.”
Moeen has often labelled himself a “second spinner”.
But his bowling has improved markedly under Saqlain’s guidance.
“Saqqy has been amazing for me in terms of helping with my fields, helping me understand my bowling a lot more than I had done previously – and I think that has been the biggest difference,” said Moeen after bowling England to a 177-run win in the fourth Test at Old Trafford with more than a day to spare on Monday.
Hashim Amla’s 83 held England up but a toilet break gave Moeen a chance to consult Saqlain and he subsequently had the star batsman lbw.
It was the start of an Moeen burst that yielded three wickets for five runs in 11 balls.
“He (Saqlain) gave me the option of putting a silly point in,” Moeen said.
“Maybe it put something in the batter’s mind in terms of playing forward.
“I bowled a bit shorter, he went back. I think that made the difference.
“There is always something new with Saqqy. The basics are the same, but he has found a few variations in my bowling which I am working on.
“He is brilliant with my mindset,” explained Moeen, who ended the match with two wickets in two balls after finishing England’s victory in the third Test at The Oval with a hattrick.
“Before, I just bowled. I didn’t really think too much,” added Moeen, who finished with five for 69 on Monday.
“I let the captain set the field. Saqlain has helped me understand my action, field settings and the type of batsmen,” said Moeen, who took 10 wickets in England’s first Test win at Lord’s.
Ashes-holders England have three Tests at home to the West Indies before they travel to Australia, with Moeen hinting at a full-time role for Saqlain by saying: “That’s not too far from the future.”
The South Africa series also saw Moeen make valuable runs, as exemplified by his unbeaten second-innings 75 at Old Trafford.
“I feel a lot more confident in my ability,” he said. — AFP