Moeen Ali retracts Test retirement to play for England in Ashes
England have made the decision to include Moeen Ali in the squad for the first two Ashes Tests at Edgbaston and Lord's, marking a significant return for the 35-year-old all-rounder who had previously retired from Test cricket after the 2021 season. This decision was reached after discussions with captain Ben Stokes, head coach Brendon McCullum and Managing Director of England Cricket, Rob Key.
Moeen's reinstatement comes as a result of spinner Jack Leach suffering a back injury that ruled him out of the highly anticipated five-match series. With his extensive experience of 64 Tests, Moeen is now considered a strong contender to play at his home ground in Birmingham, where the first Test is scheduled to take place on June 16.
"We reached out to Mo (Moeen Ali) 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," Key revealed in a statement to the ECB website.
Moeen Ali retracts retirement to play for England in Ashes
The Birmingham-born batting all-rounder has scored 2,914 Test runs and has 195 wickets at Test level. He has five centuries and 14 fifties in the format and his inclusion will add a lot to the depth of England's batting. He will celebrate his 36th birthday during the first Test at Edgbaston on June 18.
The England squad is slated to assemble in Birmingham on June 12 and commence their preparations for the Ashes opener the following day.
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Updated England squad: 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
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