Moeen Ali not viable option to open
With Adam Lyth set to be dropped for England’s series against Pakistan in the United Arab Emirates this autumn, I can understand talk of Moeen Ali being promoted to opener but I am not in favour of it.
At best it is a short-term solution. It would allow England to get two spinners into the team but Moeen is definitely not an opener. He is more suited to coming in down the order like he has been doing. He is also susceptible to the short ball.
England will not be playing on pacey wickets in the UAE so the short ball will not be as effective and I can just see the clamour for him to continue as opener if he scores a few runs. But he will have scored those runs on flat wickets that don’t swing. After the UAE, England go to South Africa and that will be a different kettle of fish. All of a sudden Moeen will be facing pace bowlers Morne Morkell and Dale Steyn on bouncy tracks with the ball swinging. Moeen as opener is not a long-term solution.