Moeen Ali has witnessed England’s cricketing metamorphosis up close. When he debuted in 2014, England clung to tradition.

Today, ‘Bazball’ has rewritten the script, with Ben Stokes’ fearless leadership at its core. In this exclusive chat with Sportstar, the former all-rounder reflects on the game’s evolution and pitches for a two-tier Test system to keep the format alive and fierce.

England cricket has evolved significantly with Bazball becoming the mantra. What’s your assessment?

It’s still changing, and they are still going through a process. Obviously, they don’t call it Bazball. No one, except for the media, calls it Bazball. But yes, these guys are adapting better now than they were over the last year or so. There has been confidence and stability in the team over the years, and sticking to the players has really, really helped with that. They have just identified players who they know can play and do really well at the top level. And, they are just backing these guys. That’s helping the players in a big series like this against India and Australia.

When you started your career, draws were still seen as a result. Now, results seem inevitable. How do you see this new template of Test cricket?

Test cricket has evolved big time. The draws are not good anymore, almost. Unless the teams kind of get to a situation where they can only draw or they have to draw, I just don’t think it’s the way teams are looking to play anymore. That, in itself, is a skill and an art.

But nowadays, cricket has changed a lot. It has evolved so much that scoring rates, for example, are quicker; batters are scoring much quicker than probably how they were previously. Not all of them, obviously, but most.

The wickets in England seem to have changed, with flat decks replacing the traditional juicy surfaces. Why do you think that’s the case?

The weather has definitely been a factor. While India has been here, the weather has been amazing, which generally makes the wickets slower. That’s not what England wants — they prefer bounce and pace. India’s bowlers can handle those conditions, but England would still prefer wickets with bounce and pace. When the weather is good, pitches in the UK tend to slow down and flatten out. The Dukes ball has also played a role. Over the last couple of years, it’s been quite different — softer and less likely to swing than before, when it stayed harder throughout the game.

What’s changed as far as the Dukes ball is concerned?

It changed a couple of years ago. Even during the Ashes, the balls felt slightly different. They used to be heavier and darker, more of a purple-red colour, and definitely harder. That hardness suited both batters and bowlers, seamers and spinners alike.

Even here, although the wickets have spun and Washington (Sundar) took wickets at Lord’s, the ball still feels lighter in a spinner’s hand, whereas earlier it felt nicely heavy. A heavier ball, I feel, is actually better for spin.

How much of an impact have Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum had on this team?

Stokes has played a massive role in the team. His impact on the way they play has been huge, better than when I was still playing. They’ve had many more wins in a shorter period. Both Stokes and McCullum have identified players who can score runs at this level and handle different types of bowling.

From the start, Stokesy knew exactly what he wanted as captain. Having played in sides that struggled over the years, he had a clear vision and stuck to it, backing himself and his method. He’s especially good with younger players, giving them the freedom to play their natural game.

He’s been a huge support for someone like (Shoaib) Bashir. Of course, Bashir is there on merit. He’s a talented young spinner, but Stokesy’s backing ensured he felt no pressure despite outside noise. As captain, he’s been that kind of support to many players.

“Whatever he wants from the team, he’ll be doing it first,” Moeen Ali says of Ben Stokes. From setting the tone with aggression to embodying clarity in vision, Stokes has reshaped England’s Test mindset with actions, not just words.
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AFP

What makes Stokes successful as a leader?

He’s a full-on leader. He leads from the front. That’s one of his main characteristics. Whatever he wants from the team, he’ll be doing it. If he wants them to be aggressive, he’ll be the first one to do it. And if he wants them to play in a certain way, he’ll be the first one to do so, and then everyone will follow it.

Everyone loves that about him within the changing room, including guys like Joe Root, who have been there probably longer than him. And even if you spoke to Jimmy Anderson, he’d say the same thing. It is love for his captaincy that makes him standout.

With players frequently facing each other in franchise leagues, are bilateral series becoming more predictable?

As a player, you’re constantly looking to improve because the guys you share a franchise dressing room with for two or three years will know your weaknesses — both mental and technical. If you struggle with a certain shot, like the drive, they’ll pick up on it. That’s why players are always working to get better.

When you’re with a franchise, you give everything for that team. But once you’re playing against each other, you’re still trying to find ways to get each other out. What I really like about this series is seeing players like Harry Brook and Nitish Kumar Reddy, who know each other from franchises, still trying to unsettle each other. It’s a healthy kind of aggression. Nothing over the top and it’s been great for both the series and for Test cricket.

Head coach Brendon McCullum and Ben Stokes have together identified players capable of handling different types of bowling, according to Moeen Ali. 
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Getty Images

Test cricket is becoming faster with aggressive batting. Do you worry about the decline of batting craft?

Not just in red-ball, even in T20 cricket, where teams and players are knocking the ball around a bit even in not so difficult situations. So, that’s kind of gone out the window.

Bit in a way, in Test cricket, it’s great to see K.L. Rahul, who I think is one of the best players in the world. And I’ve always thought that about him. He’s been amazing on this trip so far. You can still see he’s playing that sort of classical Test match innings, which is amazing to see. And you still have players like that.

Then you have Ben Duckett, who just takes the bowling on and plays really nicely as well. So there’s a skill involved. He’s got quick in Test cricket. It’s still a great skill. But there’s still plenty of room for those KL Rahuls, that classy sort of Test innings. Rahul, as we know, has scored many runs in T20 cricket quickly as well. So, it’s amazing that he can do all of that. But yeah, it’s great to see different types of batting to manage at the end. I think those guys with really good techniques will be there for longer.

Since your retirement, England has struggled to find a spin-bowling all-rounder. Are all-rounders becoming redundant?

The game is going in such a way that I think you just need to be generally an all-rounder. And it does take a different type of mindset. Throughout my years, even before I played for England, I always felt like I was an all-rounder in the development. And it has a different mindset to it, where I think if you’re going to bat, you’re trying to be the best in both, the best that you can be. And I think it’s very difficult in this day and age, unless you’re outstanding, to be just the lone spinner or just the batter. But especially as a spinner, this is where, obviously, with England, it’s great to see Liam Dawson back in the side because he does bring a bit of batting as well. He has been doing really well over the years in County cricket. The all-rounders will still be good. I think more than spinning all-rounders, what a team like India definitely needs is a batting all-rounder, or a seam bowling all-rounder because that would make them a really strong force in any condition.

Someone like Ben Stokes is outstanding. He bowls his heart out and bats in the top six. That would be the ideal kind of player that a team would look for. Australia has probably got a few now, with someone like Cameron Green. So, there’s some really, really good players coming through as all-rounders. And, I think the all-rounders will always be around.

You have played under M. S. Dhoni, Virat Kohli and Stokes. Do you see similarities among them?

All of them are very clear about how they want to proceed — whether it’s being spin-heavy, batting-heavy, or deciding the bowling combination. Take Virat, for example: he built a formidable attack with (Mohammed) Shami, (Jasprit) Bumrah, and (Mohammed) Siraj, supported by (Ravichandran) Ashwin and (Ravindra) Jadeja in Test cricket. He was a brilliant captain who could succeed in all conditions.

Dhoni, on the other hand, didn’t always have the best fast bowlers but maximised the potential of his medium-pacers and spinners. He even managed to get the best out of average players, which is remarkable.

It’s the same with Eoin Morgan and Stokes. They know exactly what they want, back their players, and stick to their vision, adapting as needed. In the process, they’ve grown as both players and captains.

According to Moeen Ali, India’s Test pace battery took shape under Virat Kohli, but it was M.S. Dhoni who knew how to bring the best out of average players.
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K MURALI KUMAR

What changes would you like in the World Test Championship format?

There could be potentially two tiers or two kinds of leagues where you have a top-two playing the final. And then there’s a bit of a relegation and promotion kind of thing, maybe.

So it depends on who’s playing, etc. I think that’s probably the best way to do it. My top teams would be England, India, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. And the rest will have a tier-two system. The other teams can then advance to the league if they do well.

Having moved on from the game, what’s next for you?

I would love to go into coaching and work with international teams or franchises. I think that’s the path I’ll be taking.