10 things you should know about England cricketer Moeen Ali

Moeen Munir Ali

Moeen Munir Ali, is an English cricketer of Pakistani descent, who scored a brilliant 44 against India in the warm-up match, ahead of the World Twenty20 tournament, to begin later today.

But who is Moeen Ali? Here are 10 fact’s that you did not know about Moeen:

1. Ali had signed for Warwickshire when he was just 15, and scored a half-century for the county’s Second XI only days before his 16th birthday.

2. His first three victims in first class cricket were all Test players. Stuart Law, Dominic Cork and Dave Mohammed.

3. The 26-year-old won Warwickshire’s NBC Denis Compton Award on both 2004 and 2005.

4. His highest first class score is of 250, which he scored against Glamorgan while being involved in a partnership worth 316 with Jack Shantry.

5. Moeen represented Mohammedan Sporting Club of the Ispahani Premier Division, on the recommendation of Bangladeshi cricketer Shakib Al Hasan.

6. Cousins of Moeen, Kabir Ali and Kadeer Ali also play first-class cricket for Lancashire and Gloucestershire respectively, while his own sibling Omar has played in the Minor Counties Championship for Herefordshire.

7. In 2013, he was awarded County Cricket’s MVP award for his exceptional performance, which included 4 centuries, 8 fifties and 28 wickets. With an average of 62 he had scored 1375 runs for the club, which is the highest by any batsman in first class cricket. On his way to win the MVP award, Ali beat Samit Patel on the final day of the season.

8. He was also named the PCA player of the year in 2013.

9. Ali scored his maiden half-century on 5th March, 2014, in the 3rd ODI against West Indies in St. John’s.

10. Moeen made his ODI debut against West Indies on 28^th February, 2014. He scored 44 runs, while also taking his maiden ODI wicket.