Vaibhav Tripathi
Moeen Ali, the spin-bowling all-rounder, has been chosen as a replacement for the injured Jack Leach in the England Men’s Test squad for the first two Ashes Test matches against Australia, set to begin on June 16 in Birmingham.
Moeen, who will soon celebrate his 36th birthday, had previously retired from Test cricket in 2021. However, he reconsidered his decision following discussions with England Test captain Ben Stokes, head coach Brendon McCullum, and Managing Director of England Men’s Cricket, Rob Key.
“We reached out to Mo (Moeen Ali) early this week about returning to Test cricket,” Key said. “Having had a couple of days to reflect, Mo is excited to join the squad and play Test cricket again. His vast experience, along with his all-round ability, will benefit our Ashes campaign,” he added.
Moeen’s performance as an off-spinner against Australia has been underwhelming, averaging 64.65 in 11 matches against them, significantly higher than his career Test bowling average of 36.66.