I love the way he plays – Moeen Ali pays tribute to England captain Eoin Morgan ahead of Sri Lanka series
Moeen Ali has paid tribute to Eoin Morgan ahead of Englands ODI series against Sri Lanka, saying he is a fantastic player of spin who he loves watching bat.
England skipper Morgan warmed up for the five-match series with an unbeaten 91 in the tour match against a Sri Lanka Board XI on Friday.
Chasing the hosts total of 287-9, Morgan struck 12 boundaries – including three sixes – and shared a 174-run stand with Test captain Joe Root, who made 90.
England were in complete control of the chase before bad light forced the teams off. The conditions did not improve, resulting in the tourists securing a 43-run Duckworth-Lewis victory.
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He [Morgan] is a fantastic player of spin, and I personally love the way he plays when he plays like this – with intent, Moeen said ahead of the first ODI on Wednesday.
Its great to see some of the shots that he played.
As the No. 1 side now, you dont want to come here and start with a loss, especially to a side thats not their main side.
The philosophy that Trev and Morg have tried to emphasise is that we need to win these games quite comfortably. As a side you dont want to stumble.
Moeen is being tipped for a starring role in Sri Lanka, where pitches generally offer far more spin than in England.
Having been dropped from the Test side last winter, 31-year-old Moeen forced his way back into the team towards the end of the India series.
He claimed 12 wickets in just two matches against Virat Kohlis team and also showed his form against the Sri Lanka Board XI, taking a further three scalps.
Its good for my own confidence to get a couple of wickets up front against two of their more international type of players, Moeen added.
These guys are used to these conditions, and they are good players in these conditions.
Its not going to be as easy as people think, but as a spinner you do have things in your favour, and that always helps.
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Moeen has also vowed not to let the added pressure of playing on spinning pitches affect his bowling this winter.
Following the five-match ODI series, England face Sri Lanka in three Tests.
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Its always nice to tour somewhere where you think youre going to play a big role – it does give you that extra bit more, Moeen said.
Its never a guarantee that youre going to go well. Ive had that experience as well, going to India and stuff.
Youve got to stay calm about it – cant get too far ahead.
MORE: Mark Wood to unveil new run-up in Englands ODI series against Sri Lanka
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