Offspinning allrounder Moeen Ali is contemplating a return to Test cricket for the upcoming Ashes series. The 35-year-old, who retired from the format at the end of the 2021 summer, has been approached by the England management following Jack Leach’s unfortunate back stress fracture, which ruled him out of the five-match series. Moeen, having amassed 67 Test caps, made the decision to step away from Test cricket to focus solely on limited-overs cricket. However, he now sees an opportunity to contribute to the Test side once again.
During his Test career, Moeen Ali showcased his skills as an allrounder, accumulating 2914 runs and claiming 195 wickets in 67 matches, with an average of 36.66. His retirement decision was partly influenced by finger issues that affected his spin bowling, leading him to believe that his time in the longer format had come to an end. The Oval Test against India in September 2021 marked his final Test appearance, which also served as his last first-class match.
Since bidding farewell to Test cricket, Moeen Ali has experienced success in limited-overs formats. He played a pivotal role in England’s triumph at the 2022 T20 World Cup and secured his second Indian Premier League (IPL) title earlier this year while representing the Chennai Super Kings. Moreover, Moeen has returned to his home county, Warwickshire, after leaving Worcestershire. Currently, he captains the Birmingham Bears in the Vitality Blast T20 competition. Additionally, he is scheduled to fulfill media obligations for the Ashes series.
Replacing Jack Leach in the Test side will be a formidable task. Leach has been an integral part of the team, featuring in all 13 Tests under the captaincy of Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum. With 45 dismissals, he holds the record for the most wickets by an Englishman during that period, having bowled 515.1 overs, more than any other bowler in the world.
Moeen Ali’s record against Australia in Test matches is not particularly impressive. In 11 matches, he has managed to dismiss Australian batsmen only 20 times, with an average of 64.65. However, his performance improves slightly when playing on home soil, with an average of 47.86 and 15 wickets in six Tests. Notably, during England’s successful Ashes campaign in 2015, he claimed 12 wickets. Unfortunately, he was dropped from the team after the first Test of the 2019 series.
During the IPL, Moeen Ali expressed his belief that his bowling was returning to its former glory, which had waned since his retirement from Test cricket. He performed admirably in the tournament, taking nine wickets at an average of 21.66. Moeen acknowledged that he had been missing certain aspects of his game in recent years but now feels a resurgence in his rhythm and action. He aims to approach Test cricket with the same energy and intensity that he displayed during his previous appearances.