MOEEN Ali has seen off the first dangerous predator of his first Ashes tour, and is out to help tame the hosts’ much-hyped bowling attack too.
While Moeen was keeping the crocodiles safely at arm’s length at the Billabong Sanctuary Native Wildlife Park in Townsville yesterday morning, a two-hour flight south in Brisbane Mitchell Starc was already talking a fierce game on behalf of Australia’s pace bowlers.
Moeen, fit to play in this week’s warm-up match against a Cricket Australia XI after sitting out the first two tour fixtures with a “slight side strain”, did not flinch when Townsville Mayor Jenny Hill announced the names of the roosters he and Alastair Cook would be feeding to crocodiles Caesar and Bully.
It transpired Caesar was not in the mood to gulp down either ‘Moeen’ or ‘Alastair’.
For Moeen, it was a first public appearance of this two week old tour, and he made clear he has spent enough time on the sidelines and is out to make his presence felt in the first Test in Brisbane next week.
“I can’t wait, getting a bit of game time in my system (here) and then ready to play at the Gabba,” said the key all-rounder, whose job has become all the more important in the absence of Ben Stokes.
“I’m very excited, looking forward to the atmosphere.”
Starc, Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood and Jackson Bird were simultaneously honing their skills in a training camp at Brisbane’s Allan Border Field – and the left-arm spearhead spelled out just how well he thinks they are coming along
Starc, who warmed up for the Ashes with a hat-trick in each innings of New South Wales’ Sheffield Shield victory over Western Australia last week, began by voicing his admiration of Hazlewood.
“He’s a bloody genius with line and length, and it allows Pat and me to really unleash and bowl as quick as we want and attack,” said Starc.
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