Moeen Ali dismisses Worcestershire rumours

Moeen Ali during a rare outing for Warwickshire © Getty Images

Moeen Ali has denied rumours that he is off to Worcestershire at the end of the season when his contract with Warwickshire expires. There had been suggestions that he was frustrated at a lack of first-team opportunities and was off to New Road to join his cousin Kabir, but he says nothing has been agreed as yet.

"It's just a rumour at the moment," he told Cricinfo. "I think Worcestershire have approached but I don't know anything about it."

Ali made 68 against Nottinghamshire in May during his first outing for the firsts this year, but he was then dropped to make way for Alex Loudon's return. He has played just one match since. Worcestershire have made a formal approach for Ali, the England Under-19 vice-captain, regarded as a future England batting star.

Although he says he's happy to bide his time in the second XI, and even though he denies a move is imminent, Ali does say that he, Kabir and his older brother Kadeer of Gloucestershire, have ambitions to represent the same county team. "We're all hoping that me, my brother and my cousin can play one day together. It would be nice."

But he refused to say which county they would like that to be. "I don't know," he says. "It's too early to say."