If England’s summer of cricket is teaching us anything then it should be that Moeen Ali is a wasted talent at number eight.
When Ali represents his county Worcestershire in the first-class competition, he is a number three batsmen who occasionally bowls the odd over here and there. For England he is the complete opposite.
To be fair, he has been quite successful with the ball, but just because England see him as the number one spin option should not mean he is automatically batting where the likes of Stuart Broad, Steven Finn and James Anderson bat.
He’s never been a frontline bowler and I’m sure if you asked him what he’d rather be in the side for, his answer would be to bat. Throughout his whole career he’s been a top order batsmen – and quite a good one.
When you see him coming in at number eight you see a man who knows he’s too good to be at that particular spot. I’m not suggesting that he needs to be right at the top of the order for England, but at least move him up a couple of spots and let him cause more damage.
I remember when he made his Test debut against Sri Lanka just over a year ago, he was batting at number six. That’s about as low as I’d like to see him go, but if they want him to play as an all-rounder then that’s the perfect spot for him.
Although, with Ben Stokes in that position and Ali being a natural top order player, perhaps a move to opening may not be the worst idea.
In the current Ashes series, his higher scores of 77, 39 and 59 suggest that he deserves a go up the order. Let’s remember England’s batting isn’t exactly the strongest at the minute which is all the more reason why he should be promoted.
England’s top order are no doubt the biggest problem in batting line-up. The middle order more times than not tend to get them out of trouble. With the top order being a major concern, then why not give Ali who is in some decent form a shot at the top.
You can’t tell me you have more faith in Adam Lyth at this current moment. Yes there is clear differences batting at the top compared to eight, but it’s not foreign to Ali. He’s batted there practically his whole professional career and has managed to score 14 first-class hundreds while doing so.
With Ali being a bit of a dasher and someone who likes to score quickly then perhaps that’s what England need at the top. Getting off to a good start is crucial and perhaps he could be the man to produce that for them.
He can still bowl with the same affect regardless where he bats, so why not get him in a position where he can have his full impact?
I had someone say to me the other day that it’s almost cheating having Ali coming in at eight, which basically sums it all up. He’s just far too good and England need to reassess his batting position.
Batting up the order and chipping in with the odd wicket will make him a very good weapon for England going forward. This current English cricket side look very good, but I personally believe they could be even better if they give Moeen Ali a chance to cause more damage up the order.
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