Moeen Ali comes out of Test retirement, included in England squad for Ashes 2023

Moeen Ali has joined the England squad for the first two Ashes 2023 tests against Australia.

Moeen Ali has come out of Test retirement and has been added as a replacement for the injured Jack Leach.

The all-rounder had quit Test cricket in September 2021. He will return for the upcoming Ashes series.

Jack Leach, who has been England's frontline spinner since Moeen Ali's retirement, has been ruled out of the series due to a lower back stress fracture.

England have been searching for a replacement for Leach and with just 10 days to go for the series, the head coach Brendon McCullum and the captain Ben Stokes had reportedly spoken to Moeen Ali regarding his comeback.

Now, the 35-year-old has been added to the England team for the first two Tests and he is likely to play in the opening game as well.

He is expected to make his first red-ball appearance since September 2021 at Edgbaston on June 16.

Talking about the decision, Rob Key, managing director of the England men's team, said: We have reached out to Moeen Ali early this week. 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.

Moeen Ali took to social media to share a picture of him in Test cricket kit earlier today, confirming his return.

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A post shared by Moeen Ali (@moeenmunirali)

Moeen Ali, of course, has vast experience in Test cricket. The 35-year-old has featured in 64 Test matches for England and has picked up 195 wickets while scoring more than 2900 runs.

England will begin their Ashes hunt on June 16. The home side is aiming to win the Ashes trophy for the first time since 2015.

Notably, England have managed to win just 1 out of their 17 Tests prior to the appointment of Brendon McCullum as the head coach. Since his appointment as the coach and Ben Stokes as the captain, the team has won 11 out of their last 13 Tests.

England squad (for first two Ashes tests):

Ben Stokes (captain), Moeen Ali, 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.