NOW IT’S MOEEN’S TURN TO TAKE LEADING ROLE
THIS time last year Moeen Ali was contemplating a period in the international cricket wilderness. A batting average below 20 and an Ashes bowling average in the stratosphere looked to have consigned him to England’s periphery.
Those figures with bat and ball may even have signalled the end of his career. That now seems rather a long time ago.
As England’s fortunes have risen – almost directly in correlation to the decline of Australia’s – Moeen once again finds himself not on the outside but central to his country’s plans.
He took 12 wickets in two Tests against India last summer before snaring another 18 as England did what had previously been beyond most teams in world cricket when they thrashed Sri Lanka in their own backyard.
And although his batting appears an appreciable distance off its effortless best, Moeen’s bowling has offered him the chance to atone for his Ashes humiliation last winter.
It’s not inconceivable that he could top the 200 Test-wicket mark before 2019 is up – a tally that would put him in esteemed company.
Graeme Swann’s 255 Test-wicket benchmark is still some way off but reaching the 200 landmark would see Moeen overtake Jim Laker, Tony
Lock and Monty Panesar.
Strange then that Moeen’s confidence with ball is often questioned by those who know spin bowling best, Swann among them. And Swann will be watching as England run out for the opening Test of the three-match series against West Indies next month.
Moeen will be starting what has the potential to be the most important year of his career.
Swann said: “Moeen found a bit of belief in Sri Lanka but in his head he was still playing as the back-up spinner.
“England did really well to beat Sri Lanka, albeit a weak Sri Lanka side, but any win out there is very hard- earned. But moving forward, Moeen needs to be the sole spinner in the team.
“Over there he had
Jack Leach as his comfort blanket almost. Leach allowed Moeen to be that luxury spinner, coming on and really attacking batsmen.
“That won’t happen against
Australia and Moeen has to step up.”
Unlike last winter, Moeen will at least be playing in a team which genuinely believes that the Aussies are there for the taking.
Their struggles combined with the shambolic ball-tampering affair have shaken Australian cricket to its core.
Public enemy No1 David Warner is likely to be watching from afar, having been widely blamed for the shameful events in Cape Town. It’s hard to see how he can return to a side clearly intent on moving on without him.