3 players who can be the ideal successor to Moeen Ali in England's white-ball sides ft. Will Jacks
Moeen Ali called it a day from international cricket after being overlooked for England's upcoming white-ball series against Australia. The experienced all-rounder last played for England against India in the semi-finals of the T20 World Cup held earlier this year in the West Indies and the USA. He has acknowledged that his time is winding down.
England have decided that the way forward for them will be without Ali in white-ball cricket, and have selected players accordingly. It will be a challenging void to bridge, but one that can be surmounted comfortably.
In this listicle, we take a look at three players who can be the ideal successor to Moeen Ali:
#1 Will Jacks
Will Jacks is one of the frontrunners for being a like-for-like replacement for Ali in England's white-ball plans for the future. Although he bats right-handed, Jacks is a more than handy off-spinner like Ali.
Jacks is also an excellent striker of the cricket ball and is known to muscle it a long way. His bowling has been largely untested, but it will be interesting to see how he manages to live up to the selectors' expectations.
Jacks has played in two Tests, seven ODIs, and 16 T20Is and looks all set to contribute significantly more.
#2 Jacob Bethell
Warwickshire all-rounder Jacob Bethell was named in the England squad for the upcoming T20Is against Australia at home as a spin option. He is a left-hand batter and right-arm off-spinner.
The Birmingham Phoenix player knows he has big shoes to fill, and if given a chance, he will not take a step back. Bethell has a healthy batting average of 25 in first-class cricket alongside a decent economy rate.
#3 Dan Mousley
Batting all-rounder Dan Mousley is one of the uncapped players named by the England selectors for the Australia series. He is a fine talent whose skills England could use for a long time to come.
Being almost a ditto replacement for Ali given that he is a left-hand batter and off-spinner, Mousley has decent numbers in the short domestic career he has enjoyed so far. However, he will be looking to make the most of this opportunity against the Aussies.
The 23-year-old may make his international debut in this series, and it will also allow pundits across the globe to witness what England have in store for them and how quickly they can replace the evergreen Ali.