Moeen Ali is relishing the challenges provided by the T10 League – and says it will help improve the standard of T20 cricket.
The Worcestershire and England all-rounder is currently in action as captain of host side Team Abu Dhabi in the 10 day competition.
It is the first taste for the 32-year-old of the format which he says has a lot more to it than trying to thrash every ball to the boundary.
Moeen, speaking to ESPNcricinfo, said: “When you don’t play or you look from the outside, it’s just a slog, but there’s a lot more to it.
“You can’t play it like a T20, the tempo’s faster and the batter’s under the pump from the start. I really like it.
“Every dot ball can bring a wicket, pressure builds massively on batters and bowlers, and as a bowler you’re just bowling for survival, really, and you can take that to T20 too.
“It will help improve T20 cricket, even though it’s played really well already, but it’s more for the power guys, because there’s no time to knock the ball around.
“Particularly the Windies guys are bigger and stronger, and on a different level when it comes to hitting sixes.”
Moeen says the pressure is not the same playing franchise cricket as when on the international stage.
He said: “There is a lot of cricket played around the world, but in the franchise stuff the pressure is not quite the same as international, particularly Test cricket.
“Franchise cricket is a lot more relaxed. Obviously you get the whole day to do what you want, then play in the evening, whereas in international cricket, Test cricket, everyone’s watching, the pressure is on you to go and do well for your country.
“It is mentally and physically harder than any sort of franchise cricket.”
*Team Abu Dhabi’s latest game against Deccan Gladiators ended in a no result.
Moeen scored 18 off 14 balls as Team Abu Dhabi totalled 118-4 and in reply the Gladiators had reached 25-1 off 2.2 overs when the game was abandoned.
Ross Whiteley was denied the chance to bat for Karnataka Tuskers in their abandoned T10 League game with Maratha Arabians.
The Arabians totalled 129-4 with Chris Lynn (61) and Adam Lyth (50) the main contributors but rain prevented the Tuskers, who rested Pat Brown, from launching their reply.
