Moeen Ali wants to gain some insights from Andrew Flintoff to become a more rounded coach in his bid to one day get the top job with England.
Flintoff, England’s 2005 Ashes talisman and former captain, is overseeing the second-string Lions’ white-ball tour against Pakistan Shaheens, with Moeen and Ben Stokes among his backroom staff.
“Definitely the goal is to be a head coach of an international cricket team,” Moeen, who played 68 Tests, 138 ODIs and 92 T20s for England, said. “One day, being England head coach would be amazing.
“There’s different aspects of coaching. Some people are more technical, some are more mental, some are more hands on and hands off. It’s just working out what I’m good at and not so good at.”
Now he is looking to enhance his knowledge as he transitions away from playing, Moeen is relishing the chance to pick the brains of Flintoff, whose Lions side play their first match in Abu Dhabi on Friday.
“It’s just the way he goes about things,” Moeen said. “We’re quite different personalities; we’re similar, but we’re different in terms of the way we speak and when to say things.
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“I want to ask him a few questions. Freddie has this aura about him. As a player and even as a coach, he doesn’t get down, he understands emotions and players.
“Some coaches can be very up and down, very emotional, and Freddie’s not like that. He has motivational talks and gives players that extra bit of confidence sometimes, which can be quite difficult to do.
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“I’m looking more at that side because I would say the coaching I’ve done previously is more on the technical side of things. I’m really looking forward to working with him.”
Moeen reversed a decision to retire to join Yorkshire for this year’s Vitality Blast but he is studying for his ECB Level Three qualification.
Stokes joins the Lions in the United Arab Emirates while rehabbing from an adductor injury suffered during the Ashes. He has since undergone surgery on a broken cheek after being hit by a ball while coaching in Durham.
“I’m really looking forward to working with Ben,” Moeen said. “I played a lot with Ben and spent a lot of time with him (during their playing careers). I think he’ll be a terrific coach in the future.”
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