Moeen Ali Praises UAE Lifestyle and Cricket Culture Ahead of Abu Dhabi T10 Fresh Start

The UAE has become a home for many renowned cricketers, including Australian legend Brett Lee, former Indian international Robin Uthappa, and England batsman Alex Hales. England's retired all-rounder Moeen Ali is also among them. The Emirates offers a compelling mix of lifestyle, strategic location, and convenient access to regional leagues and tournaments, drawing cricketers to the region. For Moeen, the cultural and religious alignment with the UAE made his decision to relocate straightforward.

“I love it here. I think it's an amazing place. It's very central. Amazing weather, amazing facilities. A great lifestyle for family. I find it very peaceful,” Moeen shared with The National in anticipation of the revitalized Abu Dhabi T10, where he will lead the Arabian Aces. “It's a beautiful place. For me, it's the lifestyle. Masjids everywhere, halal food everywhere, no issues. Safety for the kids.”

Despite the overall positive experience, the UAE faced a challenging period in late February when its air defenses intercepted drones and missiles launched by Iran at the onset of the war. This situation was difficult for everyone, including Moeen. However, the 39-year-old expressed confidence in the UAE's ability to ensure safety, citing their effective handling of the crisis.

“Well, it was difficult. Obviously, the work that the UAE government did was amazing for the safety of the people. It was scary for the kids, but we were in safe hands,” Moeen stated. “I did manage to go back home to England because [I have] family over there as well. They were worried about what was happening. But generally very good. “You never know, obviously, what's gonna happen. Never been in those situations before. For me, personally, that was dealt amazingly well by the UAE government. And it makes me proud that I chose this place.”

Moeen Ali is currently navigating a demanding schedule that includes playing and coaching. He recently participated in the Nepal Premier League and is now set to compete in the Abu Dhabi T10 for the Arabian Aces, a team co-owned by Pankaj Jain and Neeraj Jain. The Aces are coached by former South African all-rounder Lance Klusener and feature prominent players such as Liam Livingstone, Andre Russell, Imran Tahir, and Sam Billings.

Following the Abu Dhabi T10, Moeen's itinerary includes the DP World ILT20 and the Afghan Premier League, both scheduled to take place in the UAE later in the year. A brief respite will precede his involvement in the Pakistan Super League, followed by the T20 Blast in the UK. Earlier this year, Moeen also contributed to the England Lions coaching staff.

The former ODI and T20 World Cup winner has expressed aspirations of becoming a high-level international coach, ideally in England. “Every player should be coaching while he is playing. It helps the game, helps the mindset. So all these things come together quite nicely, so it's not hard to handle. Just whenever I'm free, I'll coach. When I am not free, I'll be playing,” Moeen remarked.

Reflecting on England's recent performance in white-ball cricket, Moeen acknowledged the team's mixed results. He noted the team's strong showings against India earlier in the year, contrasted with challenging defeats in the recent ODI tri-series in Pakistan. He believes Harry Brook is a brilliant batter and crucial for England, especially in white-ball formats, but also pointed out that leadership involves inevitable ups and downs.

“Big learning, I think. I think he is a brilliant batter. England rely on him a lot, in white ball especially. As a leader, there would be ups and downs … had some tough results against Pakistan. I think not playing Adil Rashid was a big mistake, personally, but I see what they're trying to do. So, yeah, it'll come good, it's fine. He still scores a lot of runs.”

Moeen also addressed instances of indiscipline within the England team, such as the nightclub incident involving Harry Brook in New Zealand and other off-field issues. He believes these were lapses in judgment rather than indicative of a widespread drinking culture among England cricketers.

“I think the culture is fine. The culture will get better. Those mistakes were made … the culture is good again. The players have learnt. The players are a lot more aware of what they need to do now. “I don't think there's a drinking culture. I don't know the ins and outs. But I don’t think there is a drinking culture. I think they just lapsed a little bit.”

Currently, Moeen's focus is on the Abu Dhabi T10 and the Arabian Aces. The tournament is embarking on a new chapter under the management of the Abu Dhabi Cricket & Sports Hub (ADCSH), which oversees the Zayed Cricket Stadium. The introduction of five new teams, including the Aces, aims to establish a stable and well-defined system with clear team structures and identities.

Moeen expressed enthusiasm for this new beginning. “T10 in Abu Dhabi has always been good. I think it's only getting stronger. I think these new teams would be great for the competition because they needed a change. Everyone's excited and happy that this happened. All the teams are very strong. So really, really happy.”