South Africa v England 2023

Watch: Moeen Ali plays and misses with ridiculous one-handed reverse slog to Tabraiz Shamsi

by Wisden Staff February 1, 2023 - 3:43pm 3 minute read

Watch: Moeen Ali played a ridiculous one-handed reverse slog to a Tabraiz Shamsi delivery in the third ODI between South Africa and England, leaving onlookers baffled.

As England piled on the runs at the back end of their innings in the final match of the series, Moeen came in looking to give England a big finish to push the score up to 350. After Dawid Malan was dismissed with nine overs left and the scoreline 246-4, Ali hit his first ball for four down to third man.

The boundaries began to flow with Jos Buttler at the other end having already made three figures, the pair had already put on more than thirty three overs later. On 12 from his eight balls and with Shamsi having already been smashed for six by Buttler earlier in the over, Moeen attempted the ridiculous shot.

Setting himself front on in the crease as Shamsi bowled down the off side of the left-hander, Moeen took his bottom hand off the bat, raising it back with his right.

Moeen Ali sets himself front on for a one handed reverse (Photo by Alex Davidson/Getty Images)

Still front on with his feet planted, he then swung his bat across his body at the ball which turned further away from him as he went through the shot.

Half-way through the shot, the ball turning past Moeen (Photo by Alex Davidson/Getty Images)

Unable to lay bat on the ball it spun through to the keeper, with Moeen’s bat following it through and swinging over Klaasen’s head as he twisted with the momentum of the shot.

Following the ball as it passes through to the keeper on the off side (Photo by Alex Davidson/Getty Images)

The one of a kind attempted shot left both those on the pitch and in the commentary box baffled, with no one able to articulate exactly what Moeen had just attempted. Whereas playing a reverse sweep the batter would’ve been down on one knee, playing a reverse pull shot would require both hands on the bat. Moeen had done neither.

Despite failing to lay bat on ball with that shot, however, opting for the traditional route over the top from Shamsi’s next deliver Moeen hit a straight six over long on. He hit another six the following over off Wayne Parnell, this time targeting deep backward square leg.

After two further maximums off Lungi Ngidi, Moeen was bowled by a snorting yorker later in the same over. His 41 off 23 balls helped England up to 346-7 from their fifty overs, their highest score of the series.