OTD English all-rounder Moeen Ali was born

Moeen Ali, an English cricketer, made his Indian Premier League debut just five years ago, but because of his exceptional skills, he quickly rose to become one of the most well-known all-rounders in the national T20 competition. He has so far scored 910 runs and five half centuries while playing for Chennai Super Kings and Royal Challengers Bangalore. It’s time to get to know the 36-year-old all-rounder’s history in Tests as he celebrates his birthday today.

Before winning his inaugural Test match at the beginning of 2014, Moeen Ali was considered a future star. But despite developing an enviable track record as a graceful batsman, it was actually his off spin deliveries that got him selected when England was in disarray following Graeme Swann’s unexpected retirement.

Moeen had a record that may be compared to the greatest players in previous seasons of county cricket, despite the fact that many experts and pundits regarded him to be a “part-time” bowler. And despite experiencing more than a fair amount of ups and downs, he manfully handled the weight for the following five years in one of the English game’s most under-resourced venues. 

He also played a key role in England winning the 2015 Ashes and the 3-0 sweep of Sri Lanka in 2018–19. He achieved a Test hat-trick versus South Africa at The Oval in 2017, in a series in which he claimed 25 wickets and scored 252 runs. His six dismissals of Virat Kohli—the last of which, in what proved out to have been Moeen’s final match, moved him beyond Jim Laker’s 193 Test dismissals. These statistics were an indication of his prowess as a Test bowler and the success he has had in this format.

Moeen’s career as a Test all-rounder came to an end when he was benched throughout the 2019 Ashes, which led to the loss of his central contract. However, when he retired in 2021, he had just over 3,000 Test runs as well as 200 wickets, establishing him England’s third-most productive spinner of all time. 

Moeen Ali returned to the squad recently after England’s main spin option Jack Leach was ruled out of the five-match Ashes series. The current England skipper Ben Stokes recalled him to the side after having a discussion with him and why England cricket needed his services. He is currently playing the first Test match against Australia at the Edgbaston Ground in Birmingham.