Webdesk: After spinner Jack Leach was ruled out of the Ashes against Australia because of a stress fracture in his lower back, England’s all-rounder Moeen Ali is thinking about returning to Test cricket, according to British media.
England captain Ben Stokes and coach Brendon McCullum are said to have talked to Moeen, who said he would stop playing Test cricket in September 2021, about the possibility of him coming back to the biggest version of the game.
Moeen was part of the Chennai Super Kings team that won the Indian Premier League (IPL) recently. According to claims from British media, he has given some time to decide if he wants to come back.
If Moeen decides to play for England, he will join the team for the first Test on June 16 at Edgbaston.
The left-handed Leach couldn’t play in the five-Test series because a scan on Sunday showed that he had a stress fracture in his back, the BBC said Tuesday.
Leach’s injury is a big setback for England because he is the only bowler who has played in all 13 Tests since Stokes and McCullum took over last summer.
Without Leach, and with Jofra Archer also out because of an elbow injury, England didn’t have many choices. Moeen, on the other hand, might be a good choice.
Even though he hasn’t played a red-ball game since September 2021 (when his last Test was), he may still be the best spin bowler in England.
Moeen has taken 195 wickets in Tests. Only two other English spinners have taken more.
Moeen played in his first Test in 2014. In 64 Tests, he got 2,914 runs, for an average of 28.29.
