Moeen Ali England’s No. 1 cricketer: Nasser Hussain

Former England captain Nasser Hussain hailed Moeen Ali’s development as a leading all-rounder and called him the No. 1 English cricketer at the moment. Moeen Ali’s exploit with both bat and ball during the home series against South Africa led England to their first home Test series win against the Proteas in 19 years.

Bat and ball, Moeen does it all

The 30-year old was adjudged the Man of the Series for his tally of 25 wickets and 252 runs with the bat during the 4-match series. His performance in the final two Tests was particularly exceptional. In the Oval Test, he finished the game off for England by taking a hat-trick. In the final Test, which was held at the Old Trafford, Moeen played a blistering knock of 75* to close the door of a comeback in the series for South Africa.

Moeen has been at his penetrating best with the ball during the second essay, probably because he gets more assistance from a used wicket. He ran through the middle order of the visitors who were cruising at one stage at 163 for 3. He helped England close the game and the series on the 4th day by picking 5/69. Nasser Hussian called him an influential figure in the team who could play any role for his side.

“He is a very influential cricketer, in so many ways, on and off the field,” said Hussain after Ali’s star turn. “He has become a very popular member of that team.

“He is so versatile; he will play any role, any position with the bat, and will bowl whenever you want.

“He started the series with 10 wickets at Lord’s – English spinners don’t do that. He then got a hat-trick at The Oval, got second-innings runs last night and finished the innings off today.”

‘Moeen does silly things but that is what makes him the cricketer he is’

Hussain also pointed out that Moeen can be a little frustrating for captains as he has a tendency of playing a rash shot. But he stated that that makes him the cricketer he is.

Twenty-five wickets in the series! And that hasn’t just been getting rid of tailenders; he has been getting frontline batsmen out.

“I’ve said before that he must be a nightmare to captain and coach because, at times, he does silly things. How many times have a team put three men out in the deep in a Test and Ali will find one of them? How many times do they bring a cover in and he hits the next ball to him?

“Coaches must think, ‘shall I have a word with Ali, or shall I just leave him?’ But that is what makes him the cricketer he is.

“Leave him be. If you knock him, it will stop him being that natural cricketer he is. You’re going to have to take the odd hit with Ali but he will pay you back, and pay you back in double.”

From No. 2 spinner to a front-line one

Earlier in the series, Moeen was termed as the second spinner in the side as he wished to play more as a batsman than the other way around. But following Liam Dawson’s struggles, England went in with Moeen as the frontline spinner and played an extra batsman in place of Dawson, a move Hussain thinks paid rich dividends.

“In that 10-day gap between the second and third Test, the selectors got it right, they found the right balance to the side,” Hussain added. “They picked the extra batsman, had one less bowler and made Ali their No 1 spinner. He’s their No 1 cricketer at the moment, arguably.

“Prior to that, England were over-complicating a simple game. Do we need two spinners? Who is our first spinner? What brand and style of cricket shall we play under the new captain?”

Moeen has earned 41 Test caps for England, an achievement he could be very proud of. He will continue to play a pivotal role for his country in future Test assignments including the Ashes.