Moeen Ali speaks at a press conference in Karachi ahead of the T22 series between England and Pakistan - Shutterstock

 

Moeen Ali’s Proud Moment Reminds Me of My Indian Family’s Entire Village Coming to Support Me - and England
By Monty Panesar

 

For any British Asian cricketer playing in the country where your parents were born is a cherished moment for your family and the two nations involved.

For Moeen Ali, who will captain England on their  first tour of Pakistan  since 2005, and the Pakistani community, who make up the second largest ethnic minority in England and Wales at 1.1million people, this series will be an extraordinary moment. In his home city of Birmingham, where 144,627 Pakistanis comprise 13.5 per cent of the total population, it will be even more significant

This is also a momentous moment for Pakistan. It has struggled to host international cricket since the terrorist attacks more than 13 years but on Tuesday an England side will play in the country for the  first time since 2005 . You couldn't have imagined back then that when England next returned, they would be captained by a man of Pakistani heritage. You couldn’t write that script.

It is going to be an immense experience for Moeen and I hope he is able to focus on cricket, rather than letting the occasion get to him. England has come a long way as a nation when it comes to diversity and inclusion, and while some may more has to be done, Moeen's instillation as captain of England is a huge step forward. If you go to Eastern Europe, the story is far worse.

My special moment came in 2006 when I made my Test debut in India. The second test was at Mohali, which could not have been a bigger occasion for me. My father’s younger brother, who lives in Patiala, was reading the newspaper and saw an article headlined ‘England’s own Bishan Bedi to play in India.’

He was wondering who this new kid on the block was and it wasn't until he read the article that he realized it was his own nephew playing for England. The proof of how much interest my family and the wider Sikh community took in my cricket came when I saw how big a moment it was seeing India play England. It was a celebration between two nations who had similar democratic approaches to government and were linked by the strong influence of the British Empire on India.

Since the introduction of the Indian Premier League, India has become a far more progressive nation. It is much easier to tour there now than it was 20 or 30 years ago, when infrastructure was still developing. The transport links today are much easier and more convenient.

The strongest memory for me and my family came in the second Test in Mohali. I remember Andrew Flintoff asking me how many tickets I wanted for the match, to which I said “the whole village is coming” - he gave me a bag of tickets. 

It should come as no surprise for me to tell you there wasn’t another member of the England team who had relatives or family living in northern India. This wasn’t exactly a test match in Durham or Leeds, where I would get asked for any spare tickets and, normally, I would give mine away to accommodate other players' families and friends. So, it meant a lot.

It was a very proud moment for my grandad, who had never watched me play live in a stadium, and the whole Panesar family tree was present at Mohali. They even wore England T-shirts to show their support for me and my nation. My family would always say “we are always the winners, if England or India win, we always win”.

Monty Panesar and Andrew Flintoff chat ahead of the second test between England and India in Mohali in 2006 – Reuters

When Moeen leads England in Pakistan, it will be a surreal moment for him and his family. He has had success at Worcester and in The Hundred as a captain and he definitely comes across as a calm, measured leader on the pitch. He is softly spoken but has a firm and strong desire to show he can become a successful captain. We have all enjoyed his leadership qualities and he is definitely a more permanent captaincy option for England in the future.

How soon could that happen? That will depend on how Jos Buttler performs during the T20 World Cup in Australia. There have been questions over his captaincy since replacing Eoin Morgan earlier this summer. He has plenty of experience in white-ball cricket but more time is needed to really see if he is a leader of men.

If Moeen can show the selectors he can win in Pakistan, it will put pressure on Buttler to perform as a leader in the coming months. We know what to expect from Moeen as a captain in England, where conditions are familiar for him, but in Pakistan he is stepping into unknown territory. 

Fans on the subcontinent could turn on Moeen if he starts well, while if England struggle, they will also be sure to let them know about it. I expect tremendous pressure will be put on Moeen by the Pakistani players, too. After all, a victory for a visiting team led by a British Pakistani will not go down well, particularly with Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Ramiz Raja, who has stressed the importance of this series. 

Pakistan will be very motivated to beat an England side led by Moeen and after all, they want to send a strong message to other nations that beating Pakistan in their own backyard is not easy. – The Telegraph