Moeen Ali Says Coaching England Men’s Team Is a Dream
Former England all-rounder Moeen Ali has said that becoming a coach of the England men’s team is a long-term dream, as he begins preparing for a future in international coaching following his retirement from international cricket in 2024. The 38-year-old described the possibility of coaching England as something he would “one hundred per cent” aspire to one day.
Moeen is currently in Dubai and is set to join England Test captain Ben Stokes for an informal coaching role at the England Lions white-ball camp in Abu Dhabi. The Lions are England’s second-tier side, and the camp will also include Andrew Flintoff as part of the backroom staff. Other members involved in the setup include Amar Rashid, Neil McKenzie, Sarah Taylor and Neil Killeen.
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Speaking about the opportunity, Moeen said he is looking forward to the experience and sees it as an important step in his coaching journey. He added that his ambition is to eventually establish himself as a top international coach. He is also preparing to work towards the England and Wales Cricket Board Level Three coaching qualification.
Coaching, according to Moeen, has been a major part of his life even before his England debut. His father Munir was his first coach and continues to run the Moeen Ali Cricket Academy. Coaching also runs in the family, with his brother Kadeer working as an assistant coach at Worcestershire and his cousin Kabir serving as a bowling coach for Warwickshire’s women’s team. Moeen said he had been heavily involved in coaching at his father’s academy prior to playing international cricket.
Reflecting on the modern game, Moeen said he remains a strong believer in technique and feels that cricket has lost some of its technical foundations due to the heavy influence of T20 cricket. While acknowledging the entertainment value of the shorter format, he said solid technique, especially for Test cricket, remains essential. He also linked England’s recent 4-1 Ashes series loss in Australia to a lack of technique at key moments, stating that strong fundamentals must come before other tactical or mental elements.
Moeen believes his own playing journey has prepared him well for coaching, particularly spin bowling. He began his career primarily as a batter who bowled occasionally before evolving into a frontline spinner. He credited former Pakistan off-spinner Saqlain Mushtaq as a major influence on his development and said those experiences would help him guide young spinners. He admitted that fielding would likely be his weakest area as a coach.
Despite his ambitions, Moeen said coaching England still feels distant at this stage, but added that things can change quickly in cricket. He plans to take his time, balance coaching with television punditry, and see which path suits him best naturally.
On the playing side, Moeen is set to feature for Karachi Kings in the Pakistan Super League. He has also reversed his decision to retire from domestic cricket in England and will represent Yorkshire in this year’s Vitality Blast.
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