Moeen Ali considering England approach to replace Jack Leach for Ashes

1 year ago 32

Moeen Ali is considering an attack from England to travel retired of Test status to play successful the Ashes arsenic a replacement for the injured Jack Leach.

BBC Sport understands Moeen, 35, was called by skipper Ben Stokes aft chap spinner Leach was ruled out.

Moeen, 35, played 64 Tests earlier retiring anterior to the past Ashes bid successful Australia successful 2021.

If helium decides to judge England's call, helium would articulation the squad for the archetypal Test astatine Edgbaston connected 16 June.

Left-armer Leach, 31, was ruled retired of the five-Test series connected Sunday aft a scan revealed a accent fracture successful his back.

It is simply a important stroke to England. Leach is the lone bowler to person played successful each 13 Tests since skipper Stokes and manager Brendon McCullum took complaint past summer.

He looked acceptable to play a important relation successful the onslaught with doubts lingering implicit all-rounder Stokes' fittingness to bowl.

Without him, England were near with a dearth of options. Leg-spinner Rehan Ahmed played 1 Test successful the winter, but is conscionable 18 years old, portion Surrey's Will Jacks has 2 caps, but batting is simply a stronger suit than his off-spin. Leg-spinner Matt Parkinson cannot get successful Lancashire's squad and Liam Dawson has been retired of Test cricket for six years.

Moeen, though, would beryllium an perfect replacement - determination is statement to suggest helium is inactive the premier spinner successful England, adjacent is helium has not played a red-ball crippled since his past Test successful September 2021.

He has taken 195 Test wickets - lone 2 England spinners person taken much - and his 5 hundreds would bring runs to the lower-order.

The Warwickshire antheral has antecedently rowed backmost from making a Test return. Last summertime helium said helium was "unretired", lone to opt against a spot connected the circuit of Pakistan successful December.

Moeen remains portion of the England limited-overs set-up and was successful the squad that won the T20 World Cup successful November.

Even if Moeen does determine to articulation the squad, 1 enactment for England successful the archetypal Test could beryllium to tract an all-pace attack, supplemented by Joe Root's part-time off-spin.

However, England person not won an Ashes Test without a frontline spinner successful their broadside since 2001.

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