Ali would 'love' to join England's Test revolution under McCullum

Moeen Ali claims he’d ‘love to play’ in England’s Test cricket revolution under Brendon McCullum and Ben Stokes after admitting he felt misused as a player under former captain Joe Root

  • Moeen Ali says he’d love to join England’s revolution under Brendon McCullum
  • McCullum was appointed as a head coach of England’s cricket side in May 
  • Ali says he’d ‘suit their cricket a bit more’ than under former captain Joe Root

Moeen Ali says he would love to join England’s Test cricket revolution under Brendon McCullum and Ben Stokes.

Ali, who has taken 195 wickets with his off-spin and scored 2,914 runs in 64 Tests, retired from the format last September, citing a lack of motivation.

There were also times, the 34-year-old said, when he felt misused as a player under the former captain Joe Root.

Moeen Ali says he would love to join England’s Test revolution under Brendon McCullum

But as revealed by the Mail On Sunday a fortnight ago, he is willing to make himself available again and told BBC’s Test Match Special that the historic nature of England’s first Test tour to Pakistan for 17 years next winter is appealing.

Of his recent contact with England coach Brendon McCullum, Ali revealed: ‘He said, look in future if we need you, if there are injuries or a tour of the subcontinent etc, are you keen to play?

‘He’s a very difficult person to say no to…He’s very convincing. To be honest, I’d love to play under him and Stokesy.

Ali thinks that his style of cricket would ‘suit’ McCullum’s tactical approach if he returned

Brendan McCullum (left) has led England’s revolution after taking over as coach in May

‘Both of them have that character about them. They’re very aggressive. I think I would suit their cricket a bit more and I think they feel I would suit them as well.’

England are due to play three Tests in Pakistan this December and McCullum will want as many spin-bowling provisions as possible.

Adil Rashid, another in Test exile, is also mulling over a return to the longest form of the game, although he has turned down multiple requests from Yorkshire’s new coaching regime to play first-class cricket over recent months.

Adil Rashid is also mulling over a potential return to England Test cricket under McCullum




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