Moeen Ali returns for Ashes after approving Test comeback

Moeen Ali has made a surprising U-turn on his retirement from Test cricket and has been included in England’s Ashes squad after responding to an urgent call from the team’s management. The unexpected development came following an injury to Jack Leach, who was diagnosed with a lower-back stress fracture after England’s recent victory over Ireland at Lord’s. Moeen confirmed that he had been approached to consider a potential comeback and after discussions with key personnel, he has agreed to return to Test cricket and has been added to the squad for the first two Ashes Tests at Edgbaston and Lord’s.

The decision to recall Moeen Ali was influenced by his extensive experience and all-round abilities, which are expected to benefit England’s Ashes campaign. Ben Stokes, Brendon McCullum, and Rob Key, the captain, coach, and managing director respectively, engaged in discussions with Moeen, ultimately leading to his return to the Test arena. The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) made the announcement, expressing their well-wishes to Moeen and the rest of the squad for the upcoming Ashes campaign.

While Moeen’s return fills the void left by Leach’s injury, other candidates, including Rehan Ahmed, Will Jacks, and Liam Dawson, were also considered for the role. Ahmed and Jacks had previously achieved five-wicket hauls in Test matches in Pakistan, while Dawson provided a like-for-like replacement as a left-arm spinner.

Since announcing his retirement from Test cricket in September 2021, Moeen has not participated in any first-class matches. He cited difficulty getting into the right mindset during England’s series against India as a contributing factor to his decision. However, Moeen has remained active in other formats of the game, securing victory in the T20 World Cup with England and two IPL titles with the Chennai Super Kings. He has also represented various franchises worldwide alongside his international commitments. Recently, he captained Warwickshire’s Vitality Blast side.

Under the leadership of McCullum and Stokes, Moeen’s inclination to return to Test cricket grew stronger. Last summer, he expressed his desire to play under the new regime, believing that his aggressive style of play would align well with their approach. Although he contemplated a comeback for England’s tour to Pakistan in December, discussions with McCullum and the prospect of prolonged time away from his family during a busy winter of white-ball cricket influenced his decision not to participate.

The England squad will assemble in Birmingham with three days of training ahead of the Ashes series opener at Edgbaston on June 16. Edgbaston holds significance for Moeen as his home ground, although he has not played a red-ball match there since the first Test of the 2019 Ashes. During that match, he took 3 wickets for 172 runs before being dropped from the team.

Moeen’s inclusion in the playing XI is not guaranteed at this stage, and if selected, he is likely to bat at No. 8. However, spinners traditionally play a peripheral role at Edgbaston, as evidenced by the low number of wickets taken by spinners in County Championship matches at the venue this season. Additionally, Stokes’ ability to bowl remains uncertain, which might influence England to opt for an all-seam attack supplemented by Joe Root’s offbreaks.