"He can bowl pretty fast and he genuinely bats really well" - Moeen Ali names Liverpool star who is 'surprisingly good' at cricket
England all-rounder Moeen Ali, an ardent Liverpool supporter, has claimed that midfielder Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain is a 'surprisingly good' cricketer.
Oxlade-Chamberlain, who made his professional debut as a footballer with Southampton in 2010, is known to have played cricket as a wicketkeeper, bowler and batter during his childhood. He was also offered a trial by Hampshire as a wicketkeeper-batsman but turned it down to focus on football.
Since then, the 28-year-old has made 228 appearances in the Premier League with Arsenal and Liverpool. Throughout his career, he has lifted one Premier League, four FA Cups, one League Cup and one UEFA Champions League trophy.
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain is currently part of Jurgen Klopp's plans for next season. [@LivEchoLFC] https://t.co/7VVb8dgvc7
Speaking to The Athletic, English all-rounder Moeen Ali lauded Oxlade-Chamberlain's abilities as a cricketer. He said:
"He's a very good cricketer — surprisingly good. He can bowl pretty fast and he genuinely bats really well. Him and James Milner are really quite impressive."
Ali, who has featured in 64 Tests, 115 ODIs and 49 T20Is for England, also revealed Milner to be a good, solid batter with good defence.
The 35-year-old, while talking about British Asian representation in football, added:
"The competition for football is a lot higher than any other sport, so it's difficult to get into. Also, there aren't really role models in terms of British Asians. With players like [Mohamed] Salah, [Sadio] Mane, you'll see more British Asians coming through over the next 15-20 years. There are a few in youth set-ups now but it's also a culture clash, certainly initially."
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain ecstatic after star's new Liverpool contract
Earlier this month, Liverpool star Mohamed Salah penned a new long-term contract at the club, extending his stay until 2025.
Speaking to the club's website, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain spoke about his thoughts on the deal. He said:
"I'm sure for him to sign he is very happy being here and he'll be very content with everything, so as a friend, I'm really happy that he's comfortable and that he has got what he wants. And for Liverpool, it is an amazing thing for us to have someone like Mo commit his future."
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Salah registered 31 goals and 16 assists in all competitions for Liverpool last season and helped them win the FA Cup and the League Cup.
He also played a crucial part in the Reds' journey to the final of the Champions League (which they lost to Real Madrid) and their second-place finish in the Premier League (finished one point behind winners Manchester City).
Since joining the Reds from Roma in 2017, he has registered 156 goals and 63 assists in 254 appearances.
His new contract will see the 30-year-old stay at the club for another three years.