INTERNATIONALLY ACCLAIMED CSK PLAYER REVEALS ABOUT THE STRUGGLES HE HAD TO GO THROUGH IN HIS CRICKETING JOURNEY!

Chennai Super Kings all-rounder Moeen Ali shares his cricketing journey.

England cricketer Moeen Ali is a native of Pakistan. His grandfather came to England with his family for work. Moeen Ali was born in England. His father, Munir Ali, works at a psychiatric hospital.

Moeen Ali shared about his cricket journey in this position. "My dad had a huge passion for the game... him and as well as the twin brothers. Between the families, there were five of us, so my cousins played, I played my younger brother played. I just remember I was eight years old (when) I started playing with my brothers in the park, and I could feel that they were also getting better. So, then I took a trial when I was 19, and it was the first time that I ever played with a hard ball and stuff," the 34-year-old all-rounder said on CSK TV.

"That was the start and I was soon playing county cricket at a young age, doing well and loving the game. It was football, cricket, football, cricket. Cricket was my dad's passion and we just carried on," added Moeen.

Moeen said that his father had to juggle between his work as a psychiatric nurse and taking the children for county games, adding that sometimes he could not afford petrol, and occasionally food.

"At first, we were not very well off... we did not have a lot of money. My dad worked as a psychiatric nurse, which means you have to see people struggle mentally and stuff in the hospital. But at the same time, he had to take me and my brothers for county games, trials and training. He could not afford petrol; he could not afford sometimes, food. It was very difficult. Sometimes all three of us had a game the same day, a county game which was really unfortunate. We had one car, a terrible car between two families and so once the petrol and everything is done, we had just one pound left for the whole day. We had to get bread, sometimes cucumber and sandwich.

"That is the struggle... and it wasn't just my dad and uncle. It was my mum and aunt, them getting the clothes ready, making sure everything was on time. It was always a rush. Very, very difficult times, but the best times," added Moeen.

"That was one of the many, many stories where financially we really struggled. My uncle and dad turned up selling chickens just to provide for the next game. I didn't even have my own pads at one point of time... I had to use my dad's friend's son's pads for trials. So, very difficult but amazing days. I became professional very early and things got better and better."