Speaking in a press conference at Edgbaston ahead of the first Test of the series on Friday (June 16), Moeen was asked by reporters how Ben Stokes coaxed him out of retirement. Moeen said: “Stokesy messaged me with a question mark: ‘Ashes?’ I hadn’t heard the news on Leachy at the time so I just said ‘LOL’, thinking he’s taking the mick. Then the news came through and I had a chat with him. That was it.”

After the typically laid back exchange between captain and spinner was tweeted out by journalists, the comment provoked reaction over the relaxed atmosphere around the side.

“Stokes sent me a message saying ‘Ashes?’ I responded with ‘lol’…” pic.twitter.com/1LbVQ4AfLR

— Vithushan Ehantharajah (@Vitu_E) June 13, 2023

This has all the vibes of one of the friends group pinging on every Sunday, “Cricket?” and one day you are like, let’s do it today. Good luck, Mo. https://t.co/oBYCGtMvQE

— Nikhil 🏏 (@CricCrazyNIKS) June 13, 2023

Stokes: “Ashes?”
Mo: “lol”

A screenshot of that WhatsApp exchange should be hung in the Louvre. #Ashes

— Melinda Farrell (@melindafarrell) June 13, 2023

The press conference, which had already been interrupted by a fire alarm, took a more serious turn when Moeen was asked about his role in the side. With Jack Leach having been able, at times, to occupy both a holding and attacking spinner role for England, Moeen was asked whether his job under Stokes was to take wickets or bowl economically.

“I’ve never been able to hold an end up,” he said. “When I have, it’s when I’ve been taking wickets and that’s when I’ve been able to really build any sort of pressure and stuff. But I know Ben and Baz know that, and obviously you want to take wickets all the time. That doesn’t mean it’s going to happen but there might be times when I’m going to need to build a bit of pressure and stuff and just play the game, play what’s in front of me.

“I’m sure they know what they’re going to get from me. There won’t be a lot of maidens any time.”

On what it specifically was that tempted him back into the fold, Moeen commented that the style of cricket England have played under Stokes and Brendon McCullum was ‘an era I would’ve loved when I was playing.”

Going further on how the style of play suited his own, Moeen continued: “I spoke to Stokesy about how they talk to the batters and he said it would be perfect for the way you play and there’s no question marks over any of the shots that you play, which gave me the license to play a few more rash shots I guess.

“I think even with the ball he’s more on the aggressive side and I know I go for runs and that kind of stuff but he knows there’s also some wicket-taking deliveries in between which is all he cares about really.”