Michael Atherton, the former captain of England, was taken aback to see the inclusion of Moeen Ali, a spin bowling all-rounder, in the team for the first Ashes Test against Australia at Edgbaston in Birmingham, commencing on June 16th.
Atherton believes that Moeen’s performance in previous Ashes wasn’t up to the mark and the latter has not yet played a single test match since his retirement in September 2021. However, Atherton also opined that Moeen can offer for England if he comes back to play his best, and contributes with the bat.
“One Thing You’ll Be Certain Of Is That It’s Gonna Get A Huge Role From That Holy Stand..” – Michael Atherton
Moeen Ali has scalped 195 wickets in 64 Test Matches and made 2914 runs with an average of 28.3, they are remarkable figures, and Atherton claims that if Moeen Ali plays well as an all-rounder it can facilitates England a lot in the upcoming Ashes 2023. He stated while talking to Sky Sports:
“I wouldn’t have picked Moeen Ali, but I am not Ben Stokes. I am not Bazball. It’s a selection that is amazing if you think about it because Moeen Ali has retired from Test cricket, and hasn’t played Test cricket since September 2021.” said Michael Atherton.
“Retired, had a conversation with Brendan McCullum about coming back before the Pakistan tour and said that basically he’s done with that he has checked out of Test cricket and first-class cricket. So, I wouldn’t for those reasons [pick him], but I can see the attraction if he is back to his best.” he added.
“You’ve got a batter, who fits the mold of the current side, and somebody who is obviously taken a lot of wickets in Test cricket for England, but even when he was a Test match cricketer before his retirement has a modest record against Australia.” he added.
“One thing you’ll be certain of is that it’s gonna get a huge role from that holy stand. With Broad in the side, who is gonna get whip that stand up to a frenzy, and obviously, local boy Moeen Ali coming back, it’s gonna be an unbelievable atmosphere here.” he concluded.
Michael Atherton Names His Replacements For Moeen Ali:
He believes England should have picked someone who is regularly playing Red-ball cricket, like Liam Dawson or Will Jacks.
“Had it been me, I would’ve picked a different spinner. I would pick Liam Dawson or Will Jacks or somebody playing first-class cricket currently, which is not to say Moeen Ali won’t do well. We wish him all the best, of course.” said Michael Atherton.
England XI for the first Ashes Test: Ben Duckett, Zak Crawley, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes (captain), Jonny Bairstow, Moeen Ali, Stuart Broad, Ollie Robinson, and James Anderson.