Moeen Ali’s recall to England’s Ashes squad plays into the romanticism of his Test match story, but it suggests a collective amnesia and snubs those who have taken his place, writes Katya Witney.
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The news that Jack Leach would be unable to play any part in the Ashes unleashed chaos in England’s plans; strange as it sounds, he is the most difficult player to find a like-for-like for in the line-up. With their dependable spinner out of action just over a week before the series begins, they faced the unenviable task of finding a replacement.
Leach’s importance to the Ben Stokes era’s success so far shouldn’t be underestimated. There is a strong bond between spinner and captain, illustrated in the way Stokes helped Leach through the Multan Test last year despite the illness both were suffering from. The trust between the two on the field has allowed Leach to flourish, taking 45 wickets in 13 Tests over the last year, including three five-fors. No other bowler in the side has taken more wickets, or bowled more overs, since Stokes took over.
It’s perhaps unsurprising that in the absence of his most trusted option, Stokes has looked to another spinner in whom he has the utmost faith. It’s worth remembering this is not the first time he and Brendon McCullum have tried to tempt Moeen out of retirement. Before they toured Pakistan, Moeen re-confirmed his decision to retire after a phone call with McCullum, stating: “The more I thought about it and discussed with those close to me, I knew deep down why I was done.”
Nevertheless, a home Test match summer without the restrictions the England team were under in Pakistan is understandably a different prospect for Moeen. It’s the most highly anticipated Ashes series in recent memory, with England promising to play the same brand of cricket which prompted him to announce his un-retirement for the first time last summer. There’s a clear argument to say that, if ever there was a right time for Moeen to play Test cricket, it’s now.
England back themselves to chase down any target, meaning he won’t be under the same pressure to bowl tightly in a containing role as he has been previously in his career. He’s the type of player both Stokes and McCullum value above all others, not a consistent performer but someone who can be thrown in to change the game, with a proven track record of doing so. His strike-rate is almost identical to Graeme Swann’s as the two lowest for England Test spinners who have played more than two matches this century. Above all, he’s the experienced option. Throwing a youngster into the Ashes cauldron, especially a spinner, is a dangerous prospect.
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But, call me boring, call me anti-Bazball, it doesn’t sit right with me. Moeen hasn’t been the kind of player in the Test arena England so desperately want him to be for a while, arguably since the emergence of Leach in the winter of 2018. A look back at the final Tests of his last two stints in the side encapsulates that.
At Edgbaston against Australia in 2019, he bowled 42 overs in the match and conceded 172 runs. Watching his thankless toil in that Test made it clear to see he was close to done. It was the sixth Test Moeen has played against Australia in England. His collective economy rate for those Tests is 4.33, with 15 wickets and an average of 47.86. The line-up who pummelled him in 2019 looks remarkably similar to the one he will face on the same ground this year, but even more dangerous. The likes of Travis Head and Usman Khawaja are at far greater heights in their career than they were four years ago, and Marnus Labuschagne had not yet emerged as the run-scoring force he is today.
Fast-forward to 2021 after his recall for India’s visit, the picture was just as concerning. His lack of control in the second innings meant James Anderson, Ollie Robinson and Chris Woakes were forced to bowl more than 30 overs apiece. That’s something that should worry England, looking at their dwindling fast-bowling resources.
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The lightning rod that makes Moeen a more attractive option for England however, is his batting – few can match Moeen’s stroke-play when he’s on song. The problem is, again, he hasn’t been that batter for quite a long time. His last Test hundred came in 2016, the year he gave England a taste of the Moeen they’ve been yearning for ever since. From 2017 onwards, he averages a shade over 20 with the bat, having played 17 Tests.
From this angle, it isn’t hard to see how England’s trio of young spinning all-rounders could feel hard done by. Liam Livingstone, Will Jacks and Rehan Ahmed were all selected for Pakistan, with the latter two taking five-fors in the series. There’s a risk in picking Moeen of alienating the crop of young spinners England are hoping to cultivate.
Jacks in particular must have been close. He approached Gareth Batty at Surrey last year to turn himself into a Moeen-type spinning-powerhouse all-rounder, and while his numbers with the ball don’t stand out, he’s done the job the County Champions required of him. After recovering from injury to play domestic cricket this summer, he hit a fluent 83 not out in the T20 Blast last week against a decent Hampshire bowling attack, and dismissed all of Kent’s top three in his most recent outing with the ball. Having only started carving out a mould for himself as a proper bowler last year, he got through the volume of overs required of him in the County Championship last season, allowing Surrey to field a lengthy batting line-up safe in the knowledge their quicks would get the requisite rest.
Similar can be said of Rehan, who’s five-for on debut in Karachi makes him the most exciting option, though at 18 there’s more of an excuse to err on the side of caution when it comes to Ashes selection. Liam Dawson isn’t as exciting, but is a reliable operator England have been happy to have as a back-up for crunch games in the past.
There are caveats to each, and the paucity of out-and-out spinners making a case in the County Championship should worry England. Jacks averaged nearly 50 in red-ball cricket for Surrey last season, while Rehan has only taken six wickets in Division Two of the Championship so far this year. But England were willing to back Jacks last year despite his high average, and took a punt on Rehan despite his lack of experience, and both paid off. Now, each has been bypassed by a player retired from Test cricket, whose recent record leaves much to be desired. While both have their limitations, none is significantly bigger than Moeen’s.
Moeen bowled well for Chennai Super Kings in the IPL, taking nine wickets in 11 innings. But it wasn’t a resurgence that demanded an instant recall in the way Ajinkya Rahane was able to achieve for India with the bat. His first two Blast appearances of the year were modest and he hasn’t played first-class cricket since 2021.
We all desperately want more of that Moeen who was mobbed by his teammates after taking that hat-trick to beat South Africa, who took apart bowling attacks and undoubtedly won many games of cricket for England. If his recall is successful it would be a beautiful story even the most hard-nosed of old England fans should want. But not all careers get their swansong, and that’s okay.
England had several options, spin and beyond. They could have looked to the future and applied the same kind of backing they’ve unequivocally given to Zak Crawley. In this light, and that of Moeen’s limitations, his recall is a missed opportunity and, while popular for the nostalgics, could backfire.
