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'Be Entertaining..'- Moeen Ali Urges His Teammates Before Sri Lanka Clash

image-lo6pgf3kMoeen is likely to return for the Sri Lanka game [X.com]

As the must-win encounter against Sri Lanka approaches on Thursday in Bengaluru, England's spin bowling all-rounder, Moeen Ali, emphasised the importance of making a strong exit from the tournament if England's World Cup journey comes to an end.

Despite not being a part of the playing XI, Moeen remains the designated vice-captain of the squad and has closely observed the team's crushing losses to New Zealand, Afghanistan and South Africa, which have left England in the eighth position, with a slim chance of reaching the semi-finals.

Moeen stressed the importance of entertaining cricket, something England has struggled to deliver in the tournament. He pointed out that the team has failed to show the intent and spark that has traditionally been associated with the England side.

While acknowledging the difficult circumstances, Moeen emphasised that, ultimately, cricket is a game, and the team should approach it with the right mindset.

"There's no point playing the way we're playing and then go out and go home and have regrets. If we're going to lose, let's lose in the way we've been playing over the years. I've always believed, and I still do, that if we play the way we know we can play, we can beat most teams. We have to beat every team from here, so let's at least go out with a bang, be entertaining. That's really important because we haven't been entertaining at all,"  Moeen Ali said during the pre-match conference. 

Moeen, who last played for England in the match against New Zealand, is set to return to the side for the must-win match against Sri Lanka, ending his stint on drinks duty during the previous three games, which witnessed a decline in England's performance. 

England's performance in the World Cup has been far from satisfactory, with three losses and only one victory. The defending champions are sitting at the bottom of the points table, with their only victory coming against Bangladesh in Dharamsala.

A comprehensive 229-run defeat in their last league game against the Proteas will likely prompt changes in the playing XI, with Moeen and Chris Woakes expected to replace the injured Reece Topley and Gus Atkinson. 

Sam Curran is also in contention for a place in the lineup, replacing David Willey. Brydon Carse, Topley's injury replacement, trained for the first time after landing in India, but he may not be considered for the match at this stage.