Last Updated on 3 months ago by Charbel Coorey
Moeen Ali spoke to Tawhid Qureshi for CricBlog about the Bangladesh Premier League, T20 World Cup plus whether there is a drinking culture in English cricket following their 4-1 Ashes defeat down under.
The Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) was embroiled in more chaos after players boycotted two matches following Nazmul Islam’s disparaging comments about Bangladesh players past and present, especially Tamim Iqbal, who was labelled an “Indian Agent” by Nazmul.
Nazmul has since been removed from his position as BCB finance committee head, with his position as board director under review. However, despite agreeing to restart the tournament last Friday, the players remain firm on the need for a public apology.
“Keeping the greater interest of cricket in mind, we will resume playing tomorrow [on Friday]. They [the BCB] have assured us that they will reach out to him [BCB director M Nazmul Islam] and fulfil our demands as early as possible,” said Cricketers’ Welfare Association of Bangladesh (CWAB) Mohammad Mithun, as quoted by ESPNcricinfo.
Moeen also touched on whether there is a drinking culture in English cricket. England’s Noosa trip midway through the Ashes made headlines, while Harry Brook’s run in with a bouncer on the eve of a One Day International (ODI) also sparked concerns of the attitude within the camp.
Moeen Ali interview: Bangladesh cricket, England’s culture and T20 World Cup thoughts
Below is the audio of our interview with Moeen Ali, as well as the full transcript.
Dramas in Bangladesh cricket
Q: Lots been happening in Bangladesh in terms of Bangladesh cricket over the last week or two, I suppose. But, I mean, you’ve been at the BPL a few times. Has it been a bit of a different atmosphere, I suppose, with everything that’s going on in the background?
Moeen Ali: Yeah, a little bit. But you kind of expect these things to happen over here a little bit, to be honest with you. There’s always, even before in the previous years, there’s always something. It’s fine though I mean it’s been they’ve handled it really well in the end. Obviously there was a bit of a hiccup last week or last few days but it’s better now.
Q: Like you were saying, there was that one-day player strike on Thursday, just gone. You guys were supposed to be playing in that second game on Thursday, Sylhet Titans. What were you doing? Was it just a case of waiting around in the hotel, just kind of seeing what was happening?
Moeen Ali: Yeah, I woke up, I had lunch, thinking the game was on. And then as I was going down to the lobby, somebody was saying the game was going to be off, and then… That’s when it was a little bit like, a bit frustrating because obviously we’re in Dhaka and it’s a great city and stuff but sometimes you don’t go out much because of traffic and all that so the days then just become long, if that makes sense. But, it is what it is and, it’s a bit frustrating as a player but you kind of just get used to these things, I guess. It’s out of your hand, out of your control.
Q: And like you say, it was kind of resolved pretty quickly in the end. And just like the last kind of question on that is, you know, you’ve played in tournaments all over the world, like different franchise tournaments all over the world. Have you ever experienced like that sort of level of uncertainty where you sort of wake up on the day of a game and you’re not sure if it’s going ahead?
Moeen Ali: Yeah, I have done. Actually, when I first came to BPL years and years ago, I was playing for Rajshahi and there was all payment issues at the time. I think there was a few players, overseas players in our team that hadn’t been paid. So I think I kind of threatened to not get to the game and not play. And then as we got there, then the owner decided he was going to pay the guys the money and stuff. So it was a little bit all over the place then as well.
Q: These things happen in the BPL. Changing topic a little bit, but staying on the uncertainty theme. So, as you know, Bangladesh’s participation in T20 World Cup is still a little bit up in the air in terms of are they going to play in India, are they playing anywhere else? I guess the thing I wanted to focus on was the players involved. So there’s a couple of national team players you’re playing alongside… Nasum Ahmed, Parvez Emon. How does it affect those guys, that level of uncertainty?
Moeen Ali: I’m not sure. They’ve not really spoken too much about it. I mean, they’re obviously going to just go with what they get told in the end. But I guess it’s quite frustrating for them as well because… just the uncertainty sometimes can you know the preparation and stuff is becomes a bit difficult by news.
I guess it’s frustrating for everybody but there’s not a lot the players can really do the players just generally what happens in this situation is players just go and play. Just do what they’re told really.
Q: I guess from your point of view, are you a bit sort of surprised that it’s… Well, it seems to me it’s been taken… It’s taken, like, ten days to get this resolved and it’s still not resolved. Are you a little bit surprised that it hasn’t, you know, some sort of resolution?
Moeen Ali: I think… I’m sure they’re discussing things in the background and it’s been close to being sorted out. I do feel that… It’s just becoming harder and harder almost every year with these things. Not just with Bangladesh, but I think generally with teams who do have people from, I guess, Pakistani backgrounds, Bangladeshi backgrounds. Even I think England players not having a visa yet and stuff, it gets a bit frustrating.
England’s chances at the T20 World Cup
Q: I was reading something this morning. I think that might be resolved now for the England players. But like you say, it’s certainly a big issue. So just… quickly I guess moving focus onto the T20 World Cup and kind of looking at England’s chances obviously you know big kind of Ashes inquest still going on at the moment I suppose a bit of pressure for Baz McCullum being there in the white ball set up now as well how do you see England going?
Moeen Ali: I do think we’ve got a good chance. We have good players. We’ve got really good players. We’ve got really dangerous players. We just need everyone to play well, really. I think it’s super important for the team to do well.
It’s just guys turning up and playing well. Because, you know, there’s, I guess there’s pressure from everybody for England to do well. On players, management, coaches, whatever. So, we’ve got players like Jos Butler, Adil Rashid, you know, Phil Salt, many of those, Brookie [Harry Brook] and stuff. So, there’s some obviously world-class players there, just… Sometimes you just need everyone to just turn up and play well.
Is there a drinking culture within the England Cricket Team?
Q: And just on England in general, lots of criticism, I guess, over the Ashes, around preparation… You know, player behaviour, off the field, drinking culture and everything. Do you think some of that might impact, I know it’s a different squad, different format, do you think that might impact the team morale, I guess?
Moeen Ali: I don’t think it will do in the T20 stuff because, to be honest, there’s things that have also been blown a little bit out of proportion. I think, for example, there isn’t a drinking culture. Well, there hasn’t been one. If there is one, then it’s only just started in the Ashes. But there isn’t a drinking culture.
I think there’s some bad choices made, which everybody knows about. I’ve been in Ashes tour where the preparation’s also been five weeks and honestly you’re drained before you’ve even played the first game so I guess they were trying to go the other way with it.
I know what they were trying to do they probably got it slightly wrong but I think there is a little bit of pressure on everybody generally. There should be because that’s that’s what it is that’s what sport is and just playing under pressure is always the best thing to do anyway.
England at the U19 World Cup: Touching on young gun Isaac Mohammed
Q: I was actually covering the… the England-Bangladesh U19 series last September saw a lot of Isaac [Mohammed] playing [who is out of the World Cup due to injury]. I mean, I spoke to him, interviewed him a couple of times as well. I mean, the thing that struck me just watching him is, you know, obviously left-hander, very reminiscent of, you know, the bat swing, very reminiscent of you. What sort of influence have you had on his game, I guess?
Moeen Ali: I think more on the talking side of things, not really in terms of coach. I’ve done a few sessions with him, but it’s more from my father and my brothers who have coached him through the academy.
But he’s just worked hard. He’s put his head down. He’s very calm, very quietly confident, which is, I think, always a nice way to go about things. So, you know, he’s worked extremely, extremely hard.
He’s a quality player and he’s going to hopefully if he keeps going he’ll be a quality player. I’ve not had a massive amount I’ve just spoken to him quite a few times I’ve done a few sessions with him but that’s about it.
It’s disappointing for him [the injury]. But, you know, we’re also big believers that some things are just meant to happen and that happens for a reason.
What’s next for Moeen Ali?
Q: And then just throwing things things forward for you over the next few months looking into the the English summer as well. Have you got have you got many other sort of franchise tournaments coming up?
Moeen Ali: After this I’m hopefully going to be doing a bit of work as a coach with the England Lions team and then also doing a bit of punditry here and there and then PSL, Pakistan Super League, hopefully and then into the County season, get a County, try and put my name into the Hundred. Very busy still.
