"That’s what we’re aiming for" - Jack Leach eyeing international return during India tour
England spinner Jack Leach believes that he should be on track for the India tour next year if everything goes according to plan. The 32-year-old reflected that playing in India is something he looks forward to.
Leach missed the entire 2023 Ashes with a back injury that he suffered during the one-off Test against Ireland preceding the high-voltage series. As a result, England recalled Moeen Ali, who returned to Test cricket after retiring from the format in September 2021.
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Speaking to BBC Radio 5, Leach revealed that his stress fracture is close to healing as he s aiming to return for the five-match Test tour of India in 2024. The Somerset spinner also recalled how England Test skipper Ben Stokes said there is more for the team to conquer.
"If everything goes to plan with my rehab and I’m bowling well enough to be selected then physically, I should be ready to go. That’s what we’re aiming for and if I get on that tour then I’ll be really looking forward to it. It’s on its way to healing and I’ve got another scan in a few weeks. Stokesy gave us a chat after the Ireland game telling us that the Ashes aren’t the end of the journey, there is more to come after that that we want to achieve," Leach said.
The 33-year-old divulged that he got the indications of an injury during a first-class game and knew it wasn't good after bowling the very first delivery against Ireland.
"It was probably a couple of weeks before, in my last game for Somerset, that I felt a little bit of stiffness in my back – no real pain but just stiff and I thought it was just me worrying about my fitness before a big series. In the lead-up to the Ireland game, in training, I was still a bit stiff and as soon as I bowled in the game it turned to really sharp pain in my right-hand side and I knew that it wasn’t good," he stated.
Leach toured India in early 2021 for four Tests and performed decently, taking 18 scalps at an average of 28.72. The left-arm spinner currently has 124 scalps to his name in 35 Tests.
"He talked to me about not just bowling when it's spinning" - Jack Leach on Ben Stokes
Leach opened up on Stokes' captaincy, claiming that the ace all-rounder wanted him to experience challenging situations in the Ashes series.
"Over the last year, the thing that has been more is the number of overs that Stokesy has got me to bowl. He was probably looking towards the Ashes and wanting me to experience bowling in all different situations. He talked to me about not just bowling when it’s spinning and challenging me in other series in the lead up to the Ashes, probably knowing that he wasn’t going to bowl too many overs," Leach elaborated.
The 2023 Ashes series ended in a 2-2 draw, but Australia retained the urn by virtue of heading into the series as the current holders.