London: England all-rounder Moeen Ali has credited his Chennai Super Kings (CSK) skipper Moeen Ali for helping him with “captaincy” and his “cricket” overall.
“I spent some time with MS and spoke a lot. I ask questions about captaincy and he answers. It is very open like that. As a captain I learnt a lot from him. I have also learnt a lot from his batting.” Moeen Ali told Cricbuzz.
Ali also emphasised that CSK’s backing made a big difference in his “international career”. He said: “It made a big difference to my international career. When I was playing for England and batting at 7 (at 8 in Test matches), CSK sent me at No 3. The franchise gave me the responsibility and backing.
“The big thing is them signing me and then retaining me. The backing you get from CSK and the way the franchise is run is absolutely amazing. Everyone says it is the best franchise.”
Moeen Ali has played a pivotal role in England’s white-ball success in recent years as they are the reigning champions in both the ODIs as well as the T20Is.
“I think the IPL has really contributed a lot to the England team,” he said.
“Not just as individuals but we played a lot against the Indian team. You get to know about the Indian players’ strengths and weaknesses.
“You can use that to your advantage. As individuals, it definitely helped us playing in front of big crowds.”
—Agencies

KR Desk