Cricket trying to do the right thing after a tough few years says Moeen Ali
IT is something of an understatement to say that cricket has had its issues in recent times.
The racism crisis at Yorkshire, the problems at Essex, the matters raised by the Independent Commission for Equity in Cricket (ICEC) report, and so on. The game has been about so much more than runs and wickets.
Emotions, in some cases, are still running high, and yet there is a sense that Yorkshire, for their part, have come out the other side.
The club has been through so many changes in the past five years that even a chameleon might have struggled to keep up with events. Yorkshire have become a beacon, you could say, of the game’s new order.
The signing of Moeen Ali, in its way, is proof of that fact, although Moeen was not signed to sign-off any transformation.
He was signed because, although just two weeks now short of his 39th birthday, he remains a top-class all-rounder and a match-winning performer. Indeed, if his early performances for Yorkshire are any indication, he looks as though he could carry on for a good while yet.
But despite the fact that some advised him against joining the county, Moeen recognised that to do so could only help change negative perceptions and reinforce good ones, while at the same time satisfying the competitive instincts of a man who, first and foremost, is still playing well, is good friends with Jonny Bairstow, the Yorkshire captain, and who recognises a talented group of cricketers when he sees one. One gets the sense, both from speaking to him and to those at the club, that it has proved to be the perfect fit.
As he cut a chilled figure on the top floor of the pavilion at Headingley, just a few hours before a Roses debut that he was clearly relishing, Moeen gave The Yorkshire Post his take on affairs.
“I don’t think Yorkshire was the only county that had issues, probably had issues. I think all the counties. And now that everyone's aware of everything, and things have settled a bit, I think all the counties are trying to do the right thing and trying to embrace everything.
“But, from my point of view, first of all I'm here to perform and to do well. I’ve been playing quite well over the last probably year-to-18 months, and with Jonny being captain and some really good players here, it was a bit of a no-brainer for me to join a club that is trying to win the competition for the first time, and to be a part of that would be amazing.
“I think, obviously, having a South Asian sort of background, although that’s not the reason I was signed, I think it does help in other ways to probably, you know, break barriers and just whatever ideas people might have of the county, and to try to change that. But the club, Headingley itself, the county itself, that was a huge pull for me and it’s been brilliant so far.”
How does Moeen reflect on the reckoning, if you will, that cricket has endured? It has clearly been a painful and protracted process, with work still ongoing.
“I think it's just more the awareness of things generally (that’s better). Now that everything's settled, counties are a lot more aware of what they need to try and do to make everything inclusive for everybody, and you see the women’s game kicking on massively now.
“I think society, generally, over the last probably 10 years has changed. Everything’s changing all the time, and cricket’s just changing with time.”
Moeen said that his move to Yorkshire had rekindled his enthusiasm for domestic cricket. He reversed his decision to retire from it to sign a one-year Blast-only deal with an option to extend for 2027.
“One hundred per cent, and that excitement I have now playing for Yorkshire and coming here… it's like it was when I was playing probably my best cricket.
“I’m so glad I’m here and I just want to make the most of it while I still can. If I’m still playing well enough then I’ll look to carry on, but when you get older things can change drastically, so I’m just trying to take it a day at a time.”
Moeen sees similarities between this side and the one that he led to T20 glory with Worcestershire in 2018. There is more experience at Yorkshire, he says, but a similar fighting spirit.
“We had a really good balanced side at Worcester and I feel that this is very similar. At Worcester, we kind of had the advantage of playing on slower wickets that really helped our bowling attack, but I think if we look at our side here we've got three spinners, we've got four seamers when Rev (Matty Revis) bowls, so in any conditions, any sort of wicket, we can utilise that.
“We’ve also got a good batting line-up that bats all the way down, as we saw against Derby in that incredible win the other day.
“At Worcester, we had a side that showed a lot of fight, stuck together and really gelled, and it’s very similar here and even though it’s still early days, there’s a good feeling to it so far.”
Moeen, who hopes one day to become an international coach, and who is working already with the England Lions, will spend a few days playing in the new Belgium T20 league when the Blast takes a short break after this weekend.
He will then be back at Headingley for the rest of the competition, hoping to create more memories at a ground that clearly means much to him.
“I used to love playing here when I played for England, or played against Yorkshire in the past. It's a brilliant place to play; if you get the crowd on your side here, it's always amazing
“My first first-class hundred was here against Yorkshire, my first Test hundred was also here, and it’s always been a great place to bat.
“But the way I’ve been looked after here at Yorkshire has been amazing, to be honest, and I really do appreciate it.”