The Ashes: Why Moeen Ali's return is England's best option

Life comes at you fast.

A few days ago, LIV were golf's bad guys, Karim Benzema was a Real Madrid player and Moeen Ali a former Test cricketer.

Now, LIV are at golf's top table, Benzema is another sporting asset bought by Saudi Arabia and Moeen is back.

The decision by off-spinner Moeen to answer England's Ashes SOS is the latest thrilling twist in the Ben Stokes-Brendon McCullum white-knuckle ride.

Sunday's news of a back injury that has ruled Jack Leach out of the series against Australia was a significant personal and collective blow.

It has robbed left-armer Leach, so unfortunate with injury and health issues, the shot at an Ashes at a time when he is at his most assured in Test cricket and most important to the England team.

It also left England with a gaping hole in their attack, especially given the doubt over captain Stokes' fitness to bowl, and a paucity of options with which to fill it.

Given the situation, England have made the best move available to them and handed Moeen the opportunity to right some wrongs he has suffered at the hands of the Aussies. It has dragged Moeen from the commentary box, where he was due to be for the BBC, into the maelstrom of an Ashes battle.

Recalling a 35-year-old who has not played first-class cricket since he ended his Test career in September 2021 leaves England open to criticism for overlooking those who have been around the squad or playing in the County Championship.

But, realistically, none of the options were satisfactory and would have put any of the players in question in an incredibly difficult and arguably unfair situation.

Leg-spinner Rehan Ahmed is an exciting prospect and made a hugely promising debut in Pakistan, though at 18 the responsibility of being the sole spinner against the Aussies is a stretch.

Will Jacks took six wickets on debut in Rawalpindi and, like Moeen, could become a Test-class off-spinning all-rounder, but is still developing as a bowler.

Matt Parkinson has been dropped from Lancashire's County Championship team and Liam Dawson has not played Test cricket since 2017. Of all of those, left-armer Dawson would have been the most reliable choice, though when have Stokes and McCullum taken the safe bet?

There was, and still is, the possibility of England picking four frontline seamers, supplemented by Joe Root's off-spin and whatever overs Stokes is able to bowl.

This is particularly pertinent when you consider Stokes' penchant for opting to field first (all four times on winning the toss at home since taking charge last year) and Australia's preference for batting first (17 times out of the past 20 when they have won the toss) - therefore negating the need for England to have a spinner to come to the fore in the fourth innings of a match.

However, that theory is debunked by the enhanced role Leach has played in England's run of 11 wins in 13 Tests. He is the only bowler to have played in every match, sending down over 1,000 deliveries more than any other man.

England have not won an Ashes Test without fielding a frontline spinner since 2001.

If, then, the need for a specialist spinner is paramount, Moeen brings the experience of 64 Tests and 195 wickets - Derek Underwood and Graeme Swann are the only tweakers with more for England. There is a persuasive argument that he would still be England's first choice had he not retired before the last Ashes.

A World Cup winner in both limited-overs formats, Moeen will not be overawed by the size of the occasion - he has just come from winning the Indian Premier League for Chennai Super Kings in a final played in front of more than 100,000 in Ahmedabad.

The owner of five Test hundreds, his all-round qualities give England the flexibility of bringing in an extra seamer if Stokes is not fit to bowl.

If he bats at number eight, Moeen would add ballast to a lower order that usually has Stuart Broad a place too high.

An engine room of Root, Harry Brook, Stokes and Jonny Bairstow followed by Moeen is a delicious prospect - the free-flowing, attacking style championed by England under Stokes is perfect for both the batting and bowling flair of Moeen, who perhaps has not been at his best in previous, more rigid, regimes.

Moeen has flirted with a return before. Last summer he "unretired" before ultimately turning down a place on the tour of Pakistan and, clearly, recalling a man who has not seen a red ball for almost two years does not come without risk.

Australia would no doubt have attacked Leach and will do the same to Moeen. They successfully managed to hit him out of the series after one Test four years ago.

Moeen's bowling average (64.65) and strike-rate (100.5) are worse against Australia than any other opponent. Steve Smith has eaten him for breakfast, averaging almost 114 against Moeen. Similarly, in the last year of Moeen's Test career, 2021, his average of 37.50 and strike-rate of 63 were his worst since 2016.

The left-hander's batting powers were also on the wane in the latter part of his Test career. In 16 Tests from the start of 2018, Moeen averaged only 16, less than half of what he achieved in 48 matches prior to that point.

Not that an England led by Stokes and McCullum will be considering what could go wrong. They will hope for and even expect only a positive impact from Moeen. It is a philosophy that has served them well so far.

Who knows, if it does go well, perhaps Moeen could be coaxed back for longer than this summer, especially with five Tests in India on the horizon in the early part of next year.

Alternatively, if it is a final hurrah, one last dance when the lights are on brightest, what an encore to Moeen's Test career it could be.

Whatever the outcome, Moeen's return adds yet another dollop of intrigue to what is the most anticipated Ashes series in a generation.