England’s Moeen Ali was given a hero’s welcome in Sparkhill this week as he met local youngsters in the hopes of ‘inspiring the next generation.’ The meet-and-greet event was held at Chaiwalla on Ladypool Road - just a stone’s throw away from where Moeen Ali grew up.
The Birmingham Phoenix all-rounder took time out of his busy schedule to take questions from the cricket-mad youngsters. The event was organised by Birmingham Phoenix to better engage with ethnic minority communities living in inner-city Birmingham.
After a busy summer of cricket - and with much more on the horizon - Moeen said it was ‘great’ to be able to spend time in his home city. Ahead of the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup in India later this year, Ali said his England team were confident they could retain their title.
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“It’s always great to come back to Sparkhill,” said Moeen. “I was brought up here and still only live about 10 minutes away.
“After a tough summer it’s great to come back here - this is my home and I’m super proud to be from here. We’re here today to try and inspire the next generation.
“I’m here to talk to the kids about my journey in cricket and hopefully give them the motivation to do whatever it is they want to do in life. It’s great playing for England and competing in major tournaments, but the most important thing for me is inspiring the next generation.
We want people from inner-city Birmingham to feel a part of Birmingham Phoenix and Edgbaston. I hope one of the kids here today will grow up and play for Birmingham Phoenix.”
Moeen Ali given hero's welcome in Sparkhill.
Moeen Ali will line up for England in next week's T20 series against New Zealand ahead of the World Cup in October. England - who are the current champions - kick off their campaign on October 5 in Ahmedabad and Moeen Ali thinks the exciting squad have what it takes to go all the way again.
“I’m looking forward to the series against New Zealand - it’s great preparation for the World Cup in India. It’s a lot of cricket but I’m really looking forward to it. We’ve got the trophy and we want to defend it - I know we can.”
