England all-rounder Moeen Ali confident he can adapt to pink ball

15 August 2017 10:54

Moeen Ali discovered at an early age that he can adapt successfully when the pressure is on at Edgbaston - and he has the chance to prove it again with the pink ball in England's inaugural day-night Test.

England's resident match-winner still recalls his first venture here, more than 20 years ago, when a pair of outsized borrowed pads failed to cramp his style as he made the right impression batting outside his age group at a Warwickshire Under-11s trial.

A mere pink ball - albeit one that feels light in his hands, for his off-breaks, and off the bat too - is therefore hardly likely to faze him in the first Investec Test against West Indies this week.

In one practice session under lights, prescribed by England on Monday night, Moeen encountered a little unfamiliarity with the new equipment.

As he prepares for his 42nd Test, and third at what was for so long his home venue as an ex-Warwickshire player, that first visit to this ground also still lives in his memory.

"(It was) at the old indoor school, my first trial," he said.

"I was a nine-year-old trialling under-11s, and I had massive pads when I was batting.

"They weren't mine . the guy who I borrowed them off, because I didn't have my own, was under-12s.

"They were just massive . (but) I batted all right, still!"

After his man-of-the-series heroics against South Africa, there is no reason why he should not do likewise this time - even as he gets used to the possible vagaries of the pink ball.

"It's different . it feels lighter off the bat," said Moeen, who hit a half-century but bowled just three overs during the mid-summer day-night round of Specsavers County Championship scheduled as preparation for this Test.

"Sometimes you don't feel like you've hit it, and it goes; other times you've nailed it, and it doesn't.

"But you get used to it . I did by the end of the (net) session."

He anticipates more adjustments will have to be made, either side of the boundary, but still sees day-night Tests as a major step into the future.

"It might take time for people to get used to it, but it's a great idea . if it helps bring the crowds in," he added, having found so far that he has no problem bowling with the pink ball.

"The seam is good - it's not quite as slippery - the lacquer seems different to the red one.

"It spun, maybe because the seam is hard.

"Seeing it is fine. It will be interesting at twilight, but I will try not to think about it."

Moeen's England team-mate Chris Woakes will be playing with a pink ball for the first time at any level, having missed the mid-summer championship experiment because of the injury which has kept him out of action for much of the past 11 weeks.

He acknowledges, as have others, that England will simply have to learn as they go along.

"Some of the guys have got some pink-ball experience through the championship games," said Woakes.

"People would like some more experience before stepping into a Test match - but that is the nature of the beast."

:: Investec is the title sponsor of Test match cricket in England. For Out of the Ordinary thinking visit investec.com/cricket

Source: PA