Moeen Ali reveals he understands Urdu and was able to translate Pakistan's plans for Alastair Cook during first Test

  • Moeen Ali says his understanding of Urdu meant he could tell Alastiar Cook about Pakistan's plans for him in the first Test
  • Pakistan are set to welcome back leg-spinner Yasir Shah for the second Test
  • The second Test between England and Pakistan starts on Thursday 

By Lawrence Booth for MailOnline

Published: 08:58 EST, 20 October 2015 | Updated: 09:00 EST, 20 October 2015

Moeen Ali’s all-round skills have extended to translation after he revealed he kept Alastair Cook informed of the Pakistanis’ plans in Abu Dhabi.

Ali, whose Pakistani heritage means he understands Urdu, became Cook’s seventh opening partner since Andrew Strauss retired in 2012, helping his captain put on 116 during the first Test. Cook went on to make an epic 263.

Asked whether his ethnicity had led to comments from the fielders, Ali replied: ‘I do understand what they are saying, obviously, and if they have a plan for Cookie, I tell him what they are trying to do to him.

England's Moeen Ali is put through his paces in Dubai ahead of the second Test

England's Moeen Ali is put through his paces in Dubai ahead of the second Test

Moeen has Pakistani heritage and understands Urdu and was able to tell Cook what the opposition were planning

Moeen has Pakistani heritage and understands Urdu and was able to tell Cook what the opposition were planning

‘That’s all. It’s about coming here and trying to beat a side that has never lost here. It doesn’t matter if they are Pakistanis or Indians, I’m just trying to do a job. But I do understand what they are saying.’

If the Pakistanis will be advised to discuss their tactics more discreetly while Ali is batting, they may be unable to control their excitement over the return of leg-spinner Yasir Shah for Thursday’s second Test in Dubai after recovering from a back spasm.

Yasir, whose facial features have been likened to football superstar Lionel Messi and who regards Shane Warne as his hero, said he would relish the challenge of trying to do what it took his team-mates almost 14 hours to achieve last week: dismiss Cook.

Yasir Shah is set to return for Pakistan in the second Test and will boost their bowling attack

Yasir Shah is set to return for Pakistan in the second Test and will boost their bowling attack

He wouldn’t go further than say he would aim for a ‘good line and length’ – a time-honoured formula in any language – but his natural affinity with Warne means Yasir is well aware of England’s travails down the years against leg-breaks.

‘I have watched the Ashes when Warne was bowling and I noticed that they are weak against leg-spin,’ he said. ‘So I have watched those videos and have tried to bowl like that in the nets. I am hopeful I will bowl well.’

His brief career suggests he will enjoy a pitch that is set to take more turn than the lifeless featherbed in Abu Dhabi. Twice last year, against Australia and New Zealand, Yasir claimed seven wickets in Dubai Tests, and he recently picked up 24 in a three-match series in Sri Lanka.

Moeen and Cook opened the batting for England during the first Test in Abu Dhabi 

Moeen and Cook opened the batting for England during the first Test in Abu Dhabi 

The last time England faced a world-class leg-spinner was in 2010, when they hosted a Pakistani side including Danish Kaneria, who is now serving a life ban for corruption. Now, they will have to contend with the kind of conditions Pakistan captain Misbah-ul-Haq was openly frustrated not to find in Abu Dhabi.

Comparisons between Yasir and England’s own leg-spinner, Adil Rashid, will be inevitable. The tourists have rallied round Rashid after his first-innings figures of none for 163 – the worst by a Test debutant – were followed by a five-for in the second to take Cook’s team to the brink of an unlikely win.

England's Moeen preparing for the second Test with the rest of the England squad at the ICC cricket academy

England's Moeen preparing for the second Test with the rest of the England squad at the ICC cricket academy

But Yasir had a word of warning: ‘He’s a little bit slower in the air compared with other leg-spinners, so when there’s no spin in the pitch he couldn’t get that much help. On the last day, when there was turn, then he was effective.’

Meanwhile, the ICC have played down concerns that the pink ball, due for use in the first day/night Test when Australia meet New Zealand in Adelaide next month, does not show up properly on ball-tracking technology when it starts to lose its colour.

The claim was made by Ian Taylor, whose Animation Research company provides the technology used by Australian broadcasters Channel Nine. But an ICC spokesman said they had ‘every confidence that all technologies will be ready and available for the Test match’.

 

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