Who flairs wins
MOEEN: CUT LOOSE, BE BRAVE & ENJOY IT
MOEEN ALI has told his England team-mates they need to go back to their roots as the great entertainers to stand any chance of claiming the T20 World Cup.
The all-rounder is one of the most naturally gifted, entertaining cricketers ever to pull on an England shirt.
He was there when the team under Eoin Morgan (below) stank out the 50-over World Cup in 2015... and was a big part of the revolution.
Were England to do the same in the T20 format six years later in the same country, it would represent the worst possible legacy for the era.
They have spluttered against Afghanistan, had a shocker against Ireland and were washed away by the rain against the
Aussies. It has not been a good tournament… yet.
With everything still to play for, with New Zealand up next in Brisbane, the message is simple: You’ve gotta risk it for a biscuit!
“I think so and I don’t see why we shouldn’t,” said Moeen. “We’re going to have to if we’re going to win this competition, we have to play like that.
“We bat all the way down, so we might as well entertain everybody, entertain ourselves and enjoy getting those 70s or 80s off 30 balls, whatever it is.
“Because that’s what really takes the game away.
“Getting 160, 170 on good wickets against good sides makes it too easy for them. We’ve got to be brave and just go out and play the way we want to play, the way we can and the reason why we were picked.
“Put pressure on the bowling and take those risks.”
England will need to put in a hefty punch to knock out the other great white-ball team of the era.
New Zealand have been in three of the last four World Cup finals across formats – but are still yet to capture their first title.
“They knocked us out in the semi-final last year and that hurt quite a bit,” Moeen admitted. “They’re a top side and you want those games in World Cups.
“As a batter, if you get in, you have to play one of your best knocks and with the ball bowl one of your best spells and have a great day in the field.
“It will take everything to beat them. I can’t remember playing New Zealand where we’ve been average and we’ve won.”
Moeen came desperately close to snatching victory away from Ireland with the bat and he is on red alert for a quick shift up the order on Tuesday – especially if the Kiwi spinners are on.
“It was very frustrating,” added the 35-year-old. “Just a couple more balls and I felt I could have got us in front.
“We’ve spoken about being a bit more proactive and dealing with what is in front of us.
“I enjoy being told, ‘Get your pads on, you’re in’ because I like to rush and then get out there.”