Moeen Ali

I was so fortunate to play my club cricket at Moseley Ashfield. We had loads of Asians, white players, black players. You grow up from that knowing it just doesn’t matter what religion or culture people are into, everyone is different.

Look at a player like Divock Origi. No one was talking about the guy and then suddenly he becomes a hero.

If I wasn’t doing this, I’d be working in a chippy. Cricket can change your life. It can teach you a lot about discipline and life in general.

Sometimes it can feel like my bad days in Test cricket get amplified or singled out more than other players, while my good ones can fly under the radar. I’m not making excuses but over time this can get to you a little bit.

My beliefs are that good people who work hard get their rewards. There will be struggle at times and hurdles along the way – life throws up all sorts – but in the end, you will prevail if you stick to the right path.