12 interesting facts about Aussie all-rounder Moises Henriques

Tall, mean, fast, nasty and an incredibly nice guy. These words go on to summarize the personality of 29-year-old all-rounder Moises Henriques. One of Australia’s brightest talents, Henriques remains to be on the fringes of the Australian cricket team, usually providing cover for the injured or unavailable players. Although he hasn’t made a mark on the international stage, Henriques has made it big on the domestic stage. With 2777 runs and 98 wickets, Moises Henriques has underlined his credentials as a quality all-rounder.Early Life: The Portugal connection

1.Early Life: The Portugal connection

Moises Henriques was born in the footballing city of Funchal in Portugal. His father Alvaro was a Portuguese professional footballer. Henriques and his family immigrated to Australia when Moises was barely a year old.

2.Nickname

Moises Henriques is fondly known as Mozzie.

3.Couldn’t choose between batting and bowling.

At an early age, Henriques was good with both bat and ball. Although Henriques has mentioned in the past that his bowling is better than his batting, he is considered by most to be a genuine all-rounder. It has been said that he couldn’t choose between batting and bowling as his preferred art.

4.The 18-year-old workhorse

Moises Henriques made his List A debut for New South Wales at the age of 18 against Victoria. The feat made him the youngest ever debutant for NSW at the time in the List A level. Although he did not feature with the bat, Henriques bowled eight overs conceding just 46 runs. Henriques made his T20 debut six days later despite not featuring with either bat or ball.

5. Cricket over football

Funchal in Madeira City is considered to be a purely footballing city. Although born in San Antonio, Cristiano Ronaldo grew up in Funchal. It is difficult not to draw a connection between Ronaldo and Henriques given the fact that they are almost the same age.

6. The Jacques Kallis guide to being an all-rounder

Jacques Kallis is without a doubt one of the best all-rounders to have ever played the game. Although Moises Henriques has been compared to Shane Watson’s batting and bowling style, Henriques has always modeled his skills on the South African legend.

7. Mr. Consistent in the domestic circuit

Nearing 3000 runs with the bat and almost with a 100 first class wickets, Moises Henriques is certainly Mr. Consistent when it comes to performances in the domestic circuit. His consistent performance was epitomized when he slammed a 131 against Victoria in the Matador One Day Cup. His performances have seen him become the skipper of the NSW side.The curious case of the hamstring injury

8. The curious case of the hamstring injury

Following injuries to Brett Lee and James Hopes, Moises Henriques was called up for the Australian tour of India in 2009. Playing in the place of James Hopes, Henriques injured his hamstring in the initial stages of the tournament. Ironically, the person Henriques had replaced, James Hopes, too had been sidelined by a hamstring injury.

9. ODI Debut

Moises Henriques made his debut against India on the 31^st of October 2009 at the Feroz Shah Kotla in Delhi. He however failed to impress as he was dismissed for 12 and conceded 51 runs in the 8 overs he bowled, picking up just the one wicket.

10. Test Debut

Henriques made his test debut against India in Chennai. In spite of losing the match by 8 wickets, Henriques smashed a wonderful 68 before being trapped by Ravichandran Ashwin. He was much more impressive in the second innings as he made an unbeaten 81. His efforts however, were in a losing cause and Henriques was back on the fringes of the Australian test team.

11. The unfortunate on-field clash

In June 2015, Henriques was involved in an on-field clash with fellow NSW teammate Rory Burns while attempting a catch. Henriques broke his jaw and was sidelined for a further few months. Both players were given first aid treatment on field before being taken to hospital.The Moises Henriques Field

12. The Moises Henriques Field

A field in Endeavour School in Sydney has been renamed as “Moises Henriques Field”. A gateway was erected at the entrance in honor of Moises Henriques, an alumnus of the Endeavour School.