TodayThursday, October 23, 2025

The Ashes: Jack Leach’s Injury Prompts Moeen Ali To Join England

Spinner Jack Leach is replaced by Moeen because he will miss the series due to a stress fracture in his back.

Ben Stokes, the England captain, and Brendon McCullum, the coach, contacted him and convinced him to change his mind.

When he retired in September 2021, the 35-year-old claimed that he found it “really difficult to get into” the Test format.

English men’s cricket’s managing director, Rob Key, stated: “We reached out to Mo 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.”

Moeen has played 64 Tests for England, accumulating 2,914 runs, and took 195 wickets. Moeen will turn 36 during the first Test at Edgbaston.

In 11 Test matches, the off-spinner took 20 wickets at an average of 64.65 and scored 476 runs at a strike rate of 25.05.

Moeen, who will likely bat at position eight, may replace Leach immediately and give England’s batting lineup more depth.

With the Edgbaston Test beginning on June 16, Stokes and McCullum both have the option of using an all-pace attack.

“Short-lived but demonstrates seriousness of the situation” – analysis Jonathan Agnew, a cricket reporter for the BBC

The fact that England has contacted a player who hasn’t played in first-class cricket in two years shows how serious the situation is.

He is dedicated to playing for a franchise. In the autumn, Moeen will travel with England for the World Cup, but it seems unlikely he will stay on the Test team long.

This is the predicament that England is in, and Moeen’s comeback must dash the dreams of Rehan Ahmed from Leicestershire, Liam Dawson from Hampshire, and Will Jacks from Surrey.

It also implies that Moeen, who will improve the batting, will play at Edgbaston since England hesitates to start the match with an uneven four-man pace attack.

Abigail Clarke

Abigail Clarke's reporting for Ibusiness.News mainly focusses on the iGaming industry and financial news, covering the latest developments and analysis.