Moeen Ali, after retiring from Test cricket in September 2021, has made a comeback and will be part of the England squad for the initial two Tests in the five-match Ashes series against Australia.
Moeen will be taking the place of left-arm spinner Jack Leach, who has been ruled out of the series due to a stress fracture in his back.
The decision to reverse his retirement was prompted by England captain Ben Stokes and head coach Brendon McCullum, who approached Moeen and convinced him to reconsider.
At the age of 35, Moeen had previously expressed his difficulty in adapting to the Test format, but he has now decided to give it another try.
Rob Key, managing director of England men’s cricket, in his official statement said: “We reached out to Mo early this week about returning to Test cricket. 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.”
In his 11 Tests against Australia, Moeen has had a varied performance, claiming 20 wickets with an average of 64.65. He has also scored 476 runs at an average of 25.05.
Considering his ability to bolster England’s batting lineup, Moeen is expected to be included in the final playing XI, possibly batting at the No.8 position.
For the upcoming Test at Edgbaston, starting on June 16, both Stokes and McCullum have the option of selecting an all-pace attack if they choose to do so.
England squad for first two Ashes Tests:
Ben Stokes (c), James Anderson, Jonny Bairstow, Stuart Broad, Harry Brook, Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Dan Lawrence, Ollie Pope, Matthew Potts, Ollie Robinson, Joe Root, Josh Tongue, Chris Woakes, Mark Wood, Moeen Ali
