3 reasons why Moeen Ali's return to England's Test squad for the Ashes is the right move
All-rounder Moeen Ali has come out of Test retirement and has been named in the England squad for the first two Ashes Tests slated to be played in Edgbaston and Lord's.
Moeen retired from Test cricket n September 2021 after the home series against India but has responded to the management's call to reconsider his decision. Jack Leach, England's premier spinner in the longest format was ruled out after scans revealed a lower stress fracture.
After discussions with the Test skipper Ben Stokes, the head coach Brendon McCullum and the managing director of English cricket Robert Key, Moeen agreed to return to the Test squad after almost two years.
"We reached out to Mo 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. We wish Mo and the rest of the squad well for the Ashes campaign."
Moeen hasn't played any first-class cricket since announcing his retirement from Test cricket. He had confirmed back then that he had lost the intensity of playing in the game's longest format and felt he was just not in the zone.
In the absence of Leach, Moeen's experience will come in handy as England aims to reclaim the Ashes. He has played 62 Test matches in his career so far, scoring 2914 runs and bagging 195 wickets.
With that said, let us have a look at three reasons why Moeen Ali's return to England's Test squad for the Ashes is the right move
#1 Moeen's vast experience
Moeen's experience will be crucial to England's chances in the upcoming Ashes. Not only he is a fine stroke maker and can be the ideal lower middle-order batter in English conditions, but he has also been a wicket-taker, especially in these conditions.
Mooen has played in three Ashes series before so he will be a better-suited player for the occasion rather than someone like Will Jacks or Rehaan Ahmed. He can play both roles with the ball (holding one end and also bagging wickets) and lends the ideal balance to the team combination.
#2 His aggressive style of cricket is suited to Bazball approach
Much before the 'Bazball' came into effect, Moeen Ali played an aggressive brand of cricket and will perfectly suit the rigours of the new template set by the England team.
Under the captaincy of Ben Stokes, Moeen will get the opportunity to play his free-flowing game and could be the difference. At IPL 2023, he played quite a few cameos and his ball-striking abilities were on display occasionally.
With the ball, Moeen keeps hitting the right lengths and allows the batter to make mistakes. He is not a big turner of the ball but he is an attacking option and can be the wicket-taker in the middle phase of the game.
#3 His all-round attributes
When Jack Leach was ruled out due to a lower stress fracture, the team management felt they had to bring back Moeen for his all-round abilities.
While Leach only provided the bowling option as far as the England team combination went, Moeen coming into the picture means that they can ideally play an extra bowling option depending on the conditions prior to the game.
He has been a proven customer over the years and playing in an Ashes series is always a matter of pride for any English or Australian player. With the bat he can provide some crucial runs in the lower middle order and with the ball, he can control the game while the fast bowlers can come in short bursts.