Because he just hit one for his 50! Or maybe because it might get lost in his magnificent beard 
England Cricket 2016 - Sri Lanka & Pakistan
- Thread starter ChrisNelson
- Start date
Yeah they seem to bat well together, like Flintoff and Jones or Bell and Pietersen more recently.
If Moeen can sort out his issue against the short ball he'll be one of the best players in the world. Has all the shots.
Mate.
I was gonna say 
I've a lot of time for Moeen, but he's a good middle order batsman who can do a bit with the ball - He's not going to be one of the best players in the world.
I've a lot of time for Moeen, but he's a good middle order batsman who can do a bit with the ball - He's not going to be one of the best players in the world.Tbf if we go by the all-rounder rankings Mooen is already one for the best in the world. yes that says more about the ranking system and dearth of all rounders than him.
I do think Mooen can up his batting average and bring down his bowling one. If he can move both by five runs in opposite directions where would that put him?
yes that says more about the ranking system and dearth of all rounders than him.I do think Mooen can up his batting average and bring down his bowling one. If he can move both by five runs in opposite directions where would that put him?
The most improved player in world cricket. I've a lot of time for Moeen, but if manages to get his batting average above 40 and his bowling average below 35, I'll gladly eat a sock.
I think he's got it in him to do so with his batting average. Arguably he already would average 40 odd if he wasn't always tasked with blasting quick runs. The bowling average is the bigger problem but I think he's got the best strike rate of any post war English bowler? So he wouldn't have to improve hugely as a spinner and take many more wickets, but rather find a way to cut out all of the dross he bowls. Even one less 'four ball' every other over and that average will come crashing down.
Nail on the head, it's not really the average that is the issue (see: Ashley Giles) but more so that Moeen can't be relied on to hold down one end by bowling economically. If he reel in the gimme balls and the silly shots he's an invaluable player.
Well the expectation of his position is not going to change, but helps point towards what a handy bastman he is at playing to the situation. When it comes time for the middle order to rebuild, he'll dig in and do his absolute best to keep his innings going. When it's time to attack, he'll take risks at the potential cost of his stats, just to give England an upper hand.
He's a very good #6.
As a spinner? I agree with what Swann said during the last test - Moeen needs help on the pitch, not just off it.
He's a very good #6.
As a spinner? I agree with what Swann said during the last test - Moeen needs help on the pitch, not just off it.
Laugh all you want, but I didn't say the best, I said one of the best. And How many outstanding players are there in the game today? Amla, Root, Smith (who was an unremarkable middle-order player himself just a couple of years ago), De Villiers, Cook, Warner, Kohli... anyone else?I was gonna say
We're living in an unremarkable age for test batsmen, with most of the heavy run-scorers being good rather than great players. There's nothing stopping Moeen getting into the higher echelon if he keeps developing.
Edit: Forgot to include Williamson in the outstanding list.
Williamson is arguably the best of the lot right now. Angelo Matthews is a great player in a terrible team.
I don't think we're living in an age of unremarkable batsmen, either. Root/Williamson/Kohli could grow to be the next Ponting/Lara/Tendulkar - The ability they've all shown at such a young age is insane.
I don't think we're living in an age of unremarkable batsmen, either. Root/Williamson/Kohli could grow to be the next Ponting/Lara/Tendulkar - The ability they've all shown at such a young age is insane.
Yeah well he's obviously never going to reach that level. He's 29, by that age all of them had already established themselves in that 'elite' category. And there are other younger guys, who have already shown more at this level - Rahane, De Kock (in ODI), Bairstow etc. And then there's also Ross Taylor and Angelo Matthews who are better players than Ali will probably end up, yet are hardly mentioned as one of the best in the world.
Its an interesting question. Would you rather work with a spinner with a shit ER but good SR and hope you could impart some control and teach him how to bowl a defensive line or a spinner with a good ER but crap SR and hope they could develop a wicket taking threat?
I do think there's something to be said for a player that just has a knack of taking wickets.
By the age of 29 Misbah had only played a couple of tests mate. Now he's got over 10,000 test runs. Michael Hussey didn't even make his international debut until he was 30, and Graham Gooch was nothing more than a decent test player until he reached his 30s.
There are plenty of examples of players blossoming at the back end of their careers mate.
I agree generally but it's preferable over everything to have a spinner who can adapt and read the pitch and this is where I think Moeen struggles, he can become a bit one-paced. However last test he was very good and I think Swann coming in to help should help him in being more voiceful in setting fields that help him out more as a bowler. England are super lucky to have Woakes, Stokes, Ali and Rashid all about now, offers so much flexibility and they can cover up each other's weaknesses.
Doubt any of them had a first class batting average of 38 at his age though.
I find it really weird in general that England don't have a full time spin bowling coach given how large their backroom team is.
But even more so when you're picking a guy who's spent his career as a batting all rounder and you're trying to get him to think like a bowler and perform a new role it's farcical that you haven't got a solid team around him.
It says it all that Mooen's improvement in the India series was put down to a chance conversation he had with Dharmasena who was watching him bowl in the nets.
Misbah has 4600 test runs and nobody has, at any point in his career thought he is one of the best players in the world. Good player though.
Hussey and Gooch had exceptional first class records - Gooch was just underachieving at the international level, while Hussey couldn't break into arguably the most stacked team of all time. Ali's international record is not that far from his first class record.
Obviously there are some exceptions, but the odds are massively stacked against him. There are younger players out there who have shown more already, so he needs the mother of all growth curves to become one of the best players in the world.
Pakistan have let this game go now, the only chance they had was to get England out for 200 or less.
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What the feck has just happened? Woakes has taken Wahab to the cleaners.
Came to ask the same thing
God we're spoiled with good batsmen... Just need another one or two great batsmen & this team could go down as an all time great.Came to ask the same thing
Slow down buddy against a better fielding side this score would be a lot worse.
Superman wears Chris Woakes pyjamas.
Catches win matches and Pakistan have just not grasped that mantra all series.
Chris Woakes is a quality cricketer isn't he.. good looking as feck too.
Came to ask the same thing
This team would be destroyed by the 2011 English team. Why is there so much hyperbole in these threads?
A better opener & #4 and the score would be a lot better. If there was rain, there wouldn't be a score.
Forgot to add a spinner to the list. Don't think there's much between this & the 2011 team, and I'd put Root ahead of anyone in that team 'cept Cook right now. Yes, Trott was great for a spell, but I want more than that.
Hey now I said one or two great batsman & am adding a spinner in after that.
Add players like Williamson, Kohli, and a great spinner to this team, and that's fecking amazing.
I said one or two great batsman & am adding a spinner in after that.Add players like Williamson, Kohli, and a great spinner to this team, and that's fecking amazing.
Strauss better than Hales. KP, Prior and Bell better than Vince, Ballance and Bairstow. Swann better than any other spinner. Anderson/Broad still the same.
Hey now
Add players like Williamson, Kohli, and a great spinner to this team, and that's fecking amazing.
Players like that are hard to find mate!
Warne's love-in for Yasir
Hales would be my first point of improvement, with Viince as my second. Replace those with an English-Williamson and an English-Kohli with a great spinner, and this team would be better than the 2011 team.
I never said otherwise
IF we did, though... Damn. We really are three players away from a stunning team.God those Akram dismissals they just showed
He's been coaching him so wants him to do well. He's been disssapointing after the Lords test imo pitches haven't helped though.Warne's love-in for Yasir
God those Akram dismissals they just showed
Was watching this on youtube, such a brilliant video.
God those Akram dismissals they just showed
After his piece on swing bowling after last weeks test, I actually went back to watch some of his highlights... He & Waqar could swing a box of metal & still hit the top of off.
That's out. Clear sound as it passed the bat.
Poor Moeen. Needs 16 more with these 3 for company
Poor Moeen. Needs 16 more with these 3 for company
Ok these two for company.
Genuinely think Broad is a test match number 11 now.