Moeen Ali was tipped for the top long before he won his Test debut at the start of 2014. His batting that stood out during his early Test appearances. He made an outstanding, unbeaten century in his second Test, at Leeds, as England went within two balls of saving the series and while he did unveil the first doosra bowled by an England spinner in the same game, Signed by Warwickshire as a 15-year-old, he made a century on first-class debut against Cambridge MCCU (he remains the second youngest man to score a first-class half-century for the club) and Championship debut against Nottinghamshire but was dropped for the next game on both occasions. He also captained England U19 to the semi-final of the 2006 World Cup, blasted a 56-ball century in an U19 Test against Sri Lanka and, as a 14-year-old, smashed 195 not out in a Twenty20 match for his under-15 club side Moseley Ashfield. The next highest score was 11.

Moeen’s development had a significance beyond the playing field. Taking on the mantle of role-model for fellow British Asians – a sector of society that county cricket has not always encouraged as it might have done – he also talked eloquently of his Muslim faith and grew perhaps the most noticeable in English cricket since the days of WG Grace. He became known fondly as “the beard that’s feared” at New Road.

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