The Hundred should be postponed until 2021, says Moeen Ali

NICK FRIEND: The allrounder also reiterated his desire to make himself available in Test cricket once again, while also acknowledging that he would first need to earn his place back

It would be better for the launch of The Hundred to be delayed until 2021, believes Moeen Ali.

Discussions are ongoing ahead of the likely postponement of the competition’s inaugural edition, with no professional cricket to be played before the beginning of July at the earliest.

It seems likely that any live sport that does occur over the course of the summer would have to be played behind closed doors, affecting the new tournament’s desire to introduce a new audience to cricket.

“As players, we want the Hundred played with all the best players around the world available to come and play, so it makes more sense that way,” he said, speaking to journalists via a Zoom conference call.

“It is probably going to be too much to squeeze in the last couple of months of the season. It would be hard work to squeeze in the Hundred as well. It is such a big deal for us in this country and we want it to be played when everything is right and no problems around the world.”

The allrounder, who has been keeping himself busy thanks to a net in his back garden, admitted that the issue of when cricket might be able to resume was “a tough one”, given the circumstances.

“Of course, we want – everyone wants us – to be playing cricket but if things are not safe it would be very difficult to get players to play. We’d have to get advice from specialists. It would be very interesting. I don’t know. At the moment it’s too early.

“I’m sure the ECB are considering this and speaking to other people as well. The ECB are very open with us and we’re having a lot of dialogue about what we want and what they want. I’m not sure. There’s still some time to go.

“Hopefully sport will be back on soon but when the time is right, everyone is safe and the players don’t feel like they’re going out to play and they might get it.

“With so many people dying around the world – and in this country in particular – it’s difficult for the players to really switch on. We played in the PSL the last two or three games with no one in the crowd and it was so bad. It’s different and it’s not quite the same.”

He explained that getting to grips with playing without the atmosphere provided by an empty venue had been a challenge.

“For players who are used to playing in front of big crowds – and in the PSL in particular, there were such big crowds – you’ve gone from one extreme to no one there watching.

“It was very difficult to get yourself up for the game. I don’t know what it what it would be like in an international game but it was so different. It felt like those warm-up games you play before a big series. It’s not ideal. Not everybody wants to play in an empty stadium. But it will probably have to be the case for a while. It was actually very difficult to play in an empty stadium.”

Moeen has not played red-ball cricket for England since the first Test of last summer’s Ashes series. He then opted to take a break from Test cricket, meaning that he was not part of England’s red-ball series in New Zealand, South Africa or the tour of Sri Lanka that was ultimately curtailed by the Covid-19 outbreak.

^{Moeen Ali last played Test cricket for England during the Ashes}

However, in a question and answer session with The Guardian earlier in April, he stated that “if there was a Test match tomorrow and I got the call, I'd say 'yes'” – a sentiment he reinforced on Wednesday.

“For sure, if I got the call tomorrow to play, I would definitely put my hand up,” he said. “I will be available to play any cricket now. I’ve got to play and get my place back. I’ve really missed playing cricket so I would want to play.

“The Australia game at Edgbaston was a tough game but before then I had a good year with the ball. I was a little bit disappointed but I also understood and I moved on quickly.

“It gave me the opportunity to look at other options in terms of playing less cricket, playing T20 and getting the enjoyment back in my cricket. I did fall out of love with the longer format and it gave me the opportunity to take a break from it and see if I wanted to play again or not. I would definitely like to play again.

“I just felt – maybe it was my own thing – you get into a negative space in your mind and think you’re getting the blame for everything and everyone is looking at you.

“I definitely felt, even when I was playing, that if we lost the game or [were] 54 all out or 82 all out that it was my shot that lost it. It was highlighted even more or my mistake with the bat. We’d be bowled out for 50 and it was always my face on there. I did definitely feel that.

“I absolutely love Test cricket and I just almost had a fresh start and that’s hopefully what has happened over the last year or so, it’s probably made me a better bowler. It’s put me in a better mindset.

“I don’t want to keep going on about it now, I just want to move forward and trying to enjoy my cricket and again. When I first played for England, I remember telling myself that I wasn’t going to let anything affect me.

“Probably the last year or so that I was playing I did do that. It’s just going back to basics and almost playing like I was a kid again – enjoying my cricket and not really thinking too much about what people say or write about my anymore.”

The performances of Jack Leach in the Ashes and then of Dom Bess in South Africa mean that there is no guarantee of a straightforward return for the off-spinner – a point he accepts with good grace. He had considered making himself available for the Sri Lanka series, where he has previously enjoyed success in 2018.

“It was the ideal place to bowl and get back into Test cricket,” he admits. “Then I thought about it and it didn’t feel right from a personal point of view to play.

“To give other guys the opportunity to go and do potentially quite well over there, that doesn’t really affect me too much. If someone is doing well – Bessy bowled well in South Africa, Leachy bowled well before that – it doesn’t cross my mind in terms of having to bowl well because I want my spot back and stuff. As long as England are winning and doing well then it doesn’t matter who is the main spinner or anything like that.

“I still back myself to get back into the side and some stage. It’s obviously worked out that no games were played in Sri Lanka and I know those guys are ahead of me, the door is still open to perform and get back in.”

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