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Cricket World Player of the Week - Moeen Ali

by Saksham Mishra & Cricket World Sunday 24 October 2021

England's Adil Rashid and Moeen Ali celebrate

©REUTERS/Satish Kumar

Moeen Ali got England's T20 World Cup campaign to a brilliant start as he guided the team to a comprehensive six-wicket victory against defending champions West Indies.

Revenge was in the air as England met West Indies in their first match of the T20 World Cup 2021. This was the same West Indies which had snatched the trophy from England's hands in the last T20 World Cup final with Carlos Brathwaite's 'remember the name' moment.

England were determined to right the wrongs of the past and show how far they had come as a white-ball outfit since the last showpiece event.

Moeen Ali was instrumental in setting the tone for them as he bowled all his four overs first up, finishing with excellent figures of 4-1-17-2. At one point, he bowled a wicket-maiden in the powerplay which is unheard of in T20 Internationals.

England strike again ??

Lendl Simmons tries to take Moeen Ali on but only finds the fielder in the deep.

He is gone for 3. #T20WorldCup | #ENGvWI | https://t.co/bO59jyDrzE pic.twitter.com/VylXI88bN8
— T20 World Cup (@T20WorldCup) October 23, 2021

Ali first dismissed the dangerous West Indies opener Lendl Simmons who is capable of doing a lot of damage. He then got rid of Shimron Hetmyer, another fierce striker, to break the back of the West Indian batting line-up.

For a confidence player like Moeen Ali, this start will go a long way in him not only cementing his place in the England XI but also making key contributions throughout the tournament.