images

Name: Moeen Munir Ali

Born: 18 June 1987

Moeen Munir Ali is an English cricketer who serves as vice-captain for England in limited-overs cricket.

Ali signed with Warwickshire at 15, making a notable impression by hitting a half-century for the county's Second XI just before his 16th birthday. He made his first-class debut in 2005 against Cambridge University, scoring 57 not out and taking two overs for 15 runs. Ali played a significant role in the 2006 Under-19 World Cup, making three half-centuries and taking seven wickets. Despite limited opportunities with Warwickshire, Ali made crucial contributions in matches, which led to his move to Worcestershire in 2006.

Ali made his debut for Worcestershire in April 2007. His highest first-class score of 250 was achieved against Glamorgan at New Road, featuring a partnership of 219 with Matt Pardoe. Ali was instrumental in securing Worcestershire's promotion to the first division of the County Championship at the end of the 2010 season. During the 2011 season, he served as Worcestershire's acting captain in the absence of Daryl Mitchell. Ali scored his first century of the season against Somerset, and despite the team's challenges, he remained a key player.

In the 2013 season, Ali averaged 62 in Division 2, amassing 1375 runs, the highest of any batsman in first-class cricket. He was awarded county cricket's MVP award and named PCA player of the year. Ali played a crucial role in Worcestershire's victory in the 2018 Vitality Blast, leading the Rapids to their first T20 Blast Trophy. In 2019, under his captaincy, Worcestershire almost retained their title but lost to Essex Eagles in the final.

Ali made his international debut in 2014, playing in all three formats for England. He was part of the England teams that won the 2019 Cricket World Cup and the 2022 T20 World Cup. In Test cricket, Ali became only the 16th player to score 3,000 runs and take 200 wickets. He announced his retirement from Test cricket in 2021 but returned briefly in 2023 for the Ashes series before retiring again.

In limited-overs cricket, Ali has been a vital player for England. He played a significant role in the 2014 ICC World Twenty20 and the 2015 Cricket World Cup, where he scored a century against Scotland. Ali took a hat-trick in the 2017 series against South Africa, becoming the first England spinner to achieve this since 1938–39. He also made significant contributions in the 2017–18 Ashes series.

Ali was named in the England squad for the 2019 Cricket World Cup and played in his 100th ODI against Sri Lanka. He was appointed vice-captain for the ODI series against Ireland in 2020. Ali captained England in a T20I match against Australia in September 2020, becoming the first Asian-origin cricketer to captain England in T20s.

In January 2018, Ali was picked up by Royal Challengers Bangalore for the IPL. He later joined Chennai Super Kings and was part of the team that won the 2021 IPL and 2023 IPL. Ali also played for Multan Sultans in the Pakistan Super League and captained Birmingham Phoenix in The Hundred from 2021 onwards.

Ali is an ambassador for StreetChance, a programme providing free weekly cricket coaching sessions in deprived areas of the UK. He joined Orphans in Need as a Global Brand Ambassador in 2015.

Ali was nominated for the Best at Sport award at the British Muslim Awards in January 2015. He was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2022 Birthday Honours for services to cricket.

Advertisement

Related Stories

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

load more stories