During a podcast chat, England cricketers Adil Rashid and Moeen Ali got the question: would they ever play for Pakistan? The host made it clear where he stood, and the two players gave interesting answers, mentioning they’ve heard this before.
Adil said he’d rather stick to the system in his home country than switch to playing for another one. Moeen felt that just playing international cricket was more important than which nation he represented.
If I was born here, I’d aim to play here. If I was born in Pakistan or India, wherever, then yeah, that’s the country I’d try to play for, Adil explained on the Beard Before Wicket podcast.
The host said he sees himself as ‘British-Asian’ and given the choice, he’d pick Pakistan over England. Moeen called that ‘crazy’ and said the thought never entered his head.
Adil agreed, saying playing for Pakistan never crossed his mind. Why would I? he wondered.
When the host mentioned a rule possibly stopping Rashid from playing for Pakistan, both Moeen and Rashid jumped in, saying, We don’t qualify to play for Pakistan.
Moeen then asked Rashid if he’d play for Pakistan if playing for England wasn’t an option. Rashid said, No, because if I was born in England, I’d try to make it in the England system.
Rashid then wanted to know if he could even play country cricket in England. Moeen said he could, but only as an overseas player. Rashid admitted, I haven’t thought about any of that. I would consider it, depending on how much you love cricket and how much you really want it. Money matters, and so does lifestyle. There’s a lot to think.
When the host tossed the question to Moeen Ali, he said he would play for any international team if given the opportunity.
