Moeen Ali aspires to play in the IPL, says father

After stunning the cricketing world with a rollicking 53-ball hundred against the West Indies in the third ODI, Moeen Ali has set his sights on the cash-rich IPL. The all-rounder smashed the bowlers and scored 63 runs in space of just 14 balls which included 8 sixes to complete the second fastest hundred by an English batsman in ODI history.

Moeen has had a terrific summer. It started in the white fennels, where he scored crucial runs with the bat, all at a good clip, and picked 2 five-wicket haul and a ten-wicket haul. He also picked a hattrick against the South African side playing at home. Moeen’s excellent form prompted former England captain Nasser Hussain to hail him as the No. 1 player in the Test team. He is carrying that form into the limited overs series now and could be a good addition to any franchise in the IPL.

Moeen’s family eagerly waiting to watch him play in the IPL

The 30-year old would love to follow in the footsteps of Ben Stokes and Tymal Mills, who attracted a lot of money in last year’s auction. Moeen couldn’t bag a contract last year as he was caught up in a busy schedule and also went for Umrah, a holy pilgrimage for Muslims

“He has been trying to be an IPL player for the next year. All our family members will come to India to watch him play if selected,” said an excited father to cricketbadger.com.

The fact that Moeen’s parents hail from Pakistan might cause a problem but given that he is a British citizen, the off-spinning all-rounder might make the cut. A few years ago, Azhar Mahmood of Pakistan played in the glamorous league on the basis of owning a British passport.

“We are his Pakistani parents but that will not be the hindrance for his inclusion in the IPL. In his younger days, he was very aggressive. Even at club level, he used to smash the bowlers in a similar way.  I think he is very confident in his batting and when he gets going he is unstoppable.  He just loves playing for England. Moeen never thinks of records, just plays his natural game. He has scored a century in 42 balls in county cricket a few years ago. He can play very aggressively. I feel he is getting better.”

The aggressive left-hander is amongst the very few players who boast of a strike rate of over 100 in ODIs. His ability to clear the ropes coupled with his streetsmart off-spin bowling holds him in good stead to bag a contract in the IPL auctions which are scheduled to be held early next year.