Moeen Ali to lead Birmingham Bears in T20 Blast campaign
Birmingham Bears have announced England all-rounder Moeen Ali will lead their T20 Blast campaign in 2023.
The 36-year-old came through the youth pathway at Edgbaston before leaving for Worcester, but he rejoined the Bears on a white-ball contract at the end of last season.
The all-rounder will miss the start of the campaign as he plays for the Chennai Super Kings in this year’s IPL, and opening batter Alex Davies will stand in for him during his absence.
Ali said it was a dream to captain the club he grew up just a short distance away from and with such an ‘incredible’ squad.
“I’m really grateful to be given the opportunity to captain my hometown club,” he said.
“I always dreamed of playing at this great stadium when I was a child, and now to be made captain is something special. The squad looks incredible. There’s talent right through the line-up from top to bottom. But what I’m really encouraged about is that there are some young players who like me came up through the pathway at Edgbaston.
“We’ve got Glenn Maxwell, Paul Stirling and Hassan Ali also so it’s set to be an exciting season.”
