Former England captain Nasser Hussain believes that veteran England all-rounder Moeen Ali would be thinking of not playing at the No.3 position for England in his career. The 36-year-old played lower-order in most of part of his career in the longer format of the game, as he averages only 27.8 in test cricket.
The veteran all-rounder was trusted to bat at the crucial No.3 spot for the English side in the crucial fourth test in Manchester. He formed a vital partnership alongside Zak Crawley to form an important partnership in the contest of the game before Usman Khawaja took a stunning catch to dismiss Moeen Ali after scoring a well-made 54 runs in the 1st innings.
Speaking on Sky Sports Cricket, Nasser Hussain believes that Moeen Ali’s batting ability has been underutilized by England in International Cricket and reckons that he would end his career thinking of not playing at the top of the order for his team and added that he showed the world about his batting ability in the crucial 4th test.
“I think we forget what a good young batter Moeen was. Anyone watching a young Moeen growing up would say ‘this lad can bat,” Nasser Hussain said.
“That is the reason he has said he wants to bat at No 3. He will end his career thinking he could have got more Test runs for the ability he has got. He wants to go out there and show the world again that he is a proper, proper batter. I think we forget that because he can frustrate,” Nasser Hussain added.
The England all-rounder has a better record with both the bat and ball in home tests as compared to his away appearances and would be a key player for the English side in the 2nd innings, as he can be crucial for the team’s success in the 2nd innings with both bat and ball on the must-win fourth test.
The 36-year-old played a pivotal role in the team’s success in the 2019 ODI World Cup and 2022 T20 World Cup and has been an integral part of the team’s success under Eoin Morgan’s captaincy redefining the game of English Cricket in recent years.
With Ben Stokes taking over captaincy under Brendon McCullum’s coaching England is redefining test cricket with their approach and they look to make a dramatic comeback to draw the series 2-2 in Manchester.