It’s almost 6.00 pm in the evening here and Munir Ali has just wrapped up a session with his wards at the Edgbaston Community Sports ground. The brutal summer sun has your face hard, staining it faint. One can sense some exhaustion on the faces of the kids who are doing their cooling‑down exercises. The 70‑year‑old Munir, frolics his moustache, though, is fresh as a daisy.The father of celebrated England cricketer Moeen Ali and uncle of former fast bowler Kabir Ali is busy grooming the next one from his bloodline. “You see that kid Musa (Ali) in the nets. He’s my eldest son’s son. He’s just 13 years old and a beautiful batter. If he continues to train hard, he can turn up for England. But we all are excited about Isaac Mohammed (his daughter’s son). He’s playing for England U‑19s in the series against India in England now.” This duo can go far, he adds and elegant king by Moeen. “I’m certain the future is bright for him,” a proud Munir tells DH.The hall, more so Munir, are an unmistakable presence here in Birmingham, commanding a lot of respect from the cricketing community, not just among the Asian population but the English as well. While Moeen, part of the 2019 ODI World Cup and 2022 T20 World Cup winning sides, is the most celebrated member of the family where cricket runs deep in their blood, Munir is the undisputed head, having played — and still playing — a major role in every member of his tribe playing cricket.Born in Birmingham to an English mother and a Pakistani father, Munir split his early years in Pakistan before returning to the West Midlands city after his parents split up when he was a very young kid. Munir, like many members of the Asian community, aspired to become a cricketer, but life being a struggle, he was forced to juggle his playing career with an actual one that would help put food on the table. So he started off working as a psychometric nurse and also a relief nurse of coaching. That’s when he figured out what he couldn’t become but can inspire the younger members in his family to be an English cricketer.The dream was realised a bit through this happy luck. Who played a Test for England versus South Africa in Leeds in 2003. A potent fast bowler who gave a strong first impression by bagging 3/80 and 2/56, Kabir sadly was ignored right after for no fault of his and never played Test cricket again. “That’s something which irks Munir, an outspoken personality,” Munir says before talking about how tough it was for those from the Asian community. “As an Asian, in those days, it was difficult. I remember Bishan Singh Bedi telling Kabir, ‘you need to be 20 times better than someone of the white guys."'
