Smith suggested Ali was not a first-choice spinner, and that “hit me hard”, the 31-year-old said. “It was disappointing. I felt like they were looking for someone else.”

However, that also “spurred” him on to wrest back his spot. He had to wait for a bit – he didn’t play the two Tests against Pakistan, and sat out the first three against India before finally getting his chance in Southampton.

Moeen Ali’s last eight Tests

Wickets: 44
Average: 23.34
BBI: 5-63

No one in world cricket has taken more Test wickets since his return to England’s side for the fourth Test against India last summer. pic.twitter.com/KVaSv3xAdI

— Wisden (@WisdenCricket) February 13, 2019

Ali returned a match-haul of nine wickets, and England claimed the series 4-1. He’s been a fixture in the side since, and in eight Tests he has claimed 44 wickets, at home, in Sri Lanka and then in the Caribbean.

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In retrospect, the break helped. “I did need that break at the time,” he said. “Maybe if I’d been picked versus Pakistan I wouldn’t have bowled well. But I came back against India fresh, scoring runs, and taking wickets and I felt at the top of my game.

“I still had the belief. To get back in the side and prove I can do the job is … [pleasing].”

[caption id=”attachment_98403″ align=”alignnone” width=”1024″] Moeen Ali has been exemplary since taking nine against India in Southampton[/caption]

After a fine season, Ali now has 177 Test wickets in 58 matches. For someone whose role in the team is not always clear – is he a bowler who can bat or a batsman who can bowl? – the performances have provided clarity.

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“I’ve done better than I thought I ever would,” he said. “I must have done okay to get that many wickets. I remember reaching 50 and thinking that was a massive achievement. Someone said, ‘maybe 100?’ and I thought no chance.

“But when you go past some of the greats, you think ‘maybe I am a good spinner?’ I feel like I belong. People might think I don’t, because they think I’m not a proper spinner.

“And so the ECB retreated to the warm ursine embrace of ‘Gilo’, the man who inherited an excellent white-ball team and managed to turn it into the laughing stock of world cricket.”@jonathanliew on Giles’ appointment as England’s new director of cricket.https://t.co/qu176zn4Np

— Wisden (@WisdenCricket) February 14, 2019

“There will always be good days and bad days, but I am improving. I think I can get into the side as a bowler now, even if I didn’t bat.”

But bat he can – Ali has five Test centuries and 14 fifties so far – it’s an area in which he is keen to improve. “It needs working on,” he said. “But I feel set. I will stay at No.8 and I know it. I have got my head around that and it feels natural now.

“Being a bowler, I’m very happy with that. Even if I do well people may say I should move up. But I’m happy.”