The Ashes: Moeen Ali added to England squad after Jack Leach injury

Moeen Ali past played a Test, and immoderate red-ball cricket, successful September 2021

All-rounder Moeen Ali has travel retired of Test status to articulation the England squad for the archetypal 2 of the 5 Ashes Tests against Australia.

He reversed his determination aft being approached by England skipper Ben Stokes and manager Brendon McCullum.

The 35-year-old said helium recovered the Test format "really hard to get into" erstwhile helium retired successful September 2021.

Rob Key, managing manager of England men's cricket, said: "We reached retired to Mo aboriginal this week astir returning to Test cricket. Having had a mates of days to reflect, Mo is excited to articulation the squad and play Test cricket again. His immense experience, on with his all-round ability, volition payment our Ashes campaign.

"We privation Mo and the remainder of the squad good for the Ashes campaign."

Moeen, who volition crook 36 during the archetypal Test astatine Edgbaston, has played 64 Tests for England, scoring 2,914 runs and taking 195 wickets.

The off-spinner has a mixed grounds against Australia, taking 20 wickets successful 11 Tests, astatine an mean of 64.65, and scoring 476 runs, astatine 25.05.

Moeen whitethorn travel consecutive into the squad for Leach, and volition adhd extent to England's batting, with him apt to bat astatine eight.

Stokes and McCullum besides person the enactment of going with an all-pace onslaught for Edgbaston, with the Test opening connected 16 June.

England squad for archetypal 2 Ashes Tests: Ben Stokes (captain), Moeen Ali, James Anderson, Jonathan Bairstow, Stuart Broad, Harry Brook, Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Dan Lawrence, Ollie Pope, Matthew Potts, Ollie Robinson, Joe Root, Josh Tongue, Chris Woakes, Mark Wood.

'Short lived but demonstrates seriousness of situation'

Analysis by Jonathan Agnew, BBC cricket analogous

It demonstrates the seriousness of the concern that England person reached retired to a subordinate that hasn't appeared successful first-class cricket for 2 years.

He's committed to franchise cricket. Mooen volition beryllium portion of England's World Cup squad successful the Autumn but immoderate instrumentality to the Test squad seems short-lived.

This is the concern that England find themselves successful and Moeen's instrumentality indispensable dent the hopes of Surrey's Will Jacks, Hampshire's Liam Dawson and Leicestershire's Rehan Ahmed.

It besides suggests that Moeen, who volition fortify the batting, volition play astatine Edgbaston with England reluctant to spell into the crippled with an unbalanced four-man gait attack.