HOW do you solve a problem like Moeen Ali?
Parachuted in on the eve of the Ashes, England’s emergency back-up spinner is now broken himself, and unless a long-running finger injury solves itself in the next week, then Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum may well be forced to pick from the well of County Championship spinners they preferred to ignore just two weeks ago.
Speaking after England’s dramatic two-wicket defeat at Edgbaston, head coach McCullum insisted that despite Moeen’s badly blistered finger restricting the quantity and quality of overs he could bowl, the gamble of his selection had been worth it and that he expects him to play at Lord’s next week.
“I thought Mo did a great job,” said McCullum. “He bowled a couple of absolute jaffas in the game and that was what his role was.
“I’m pretty confident that over the next few days we can get on top of Mo’s finger and that’ll give us an opportunity to select him in the next game. If he’s available, he will be selected.”
McCullum’s confidence is in keeping with the relentlessly positive mantra of this England team, if not the reality of the situation.
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة June 22, 2023 من Evening Standard.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك ? تسجيل الدخول
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة June 22, 2023 من Evening Standard.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك? تسجيل الدخول
Why are England wasting time waiting for Tuchel?
Winning the World Cup is the aim, so the new boss should start now
He's been shot, and punched by Mike Tyson, but British boxing's great survivor is back on top and aiming to rule the world
This is where the magic happens,\" reads a big neon sign scrawled across the entrance to the offices of arguably the most powerful man in British boxing today.
How Sketch went from 'obscene' to era-defining
After arocky start, the glamorous and infamous restaurant is now an institution
Money is worth less than time'
He's quit Fendi, but what will Kim Jones do next?
London's Roman Amphitheatre
Guildhall Yard, EC2V
Liberals didn't notice they'd lost relevance in the all-consuming digital sphere
There are many reasons why Donald Trump might have won the election last week.
Do we have to die?
One neuroscientist thinks the answer is no
How to have a magical Christmas in Edinburgh
From cosy cobblestone streets to abundant Yuletide goings-on, few cities rival the Scottish capital in creating Christmas whimsy.
London's best festive restaurants
The social season is upon us once more. These are the city’s most coveted Christmas venues, which need to be booked soon so as to not miss out on the tinsel and tipples.
Rag'n'Bone Man
I struggle with being recognised... I'll never really feel comfortable with it'
