Moeen Ali is confident he can reclaim his place in England’s Test side after ending his self-imposed exile and declaring himself available for all three international formats once again.
The all-rounder took an indefinite hiatus from Test cricket after a particularly poor showing in the Ashes opener last August, missing the rest of the series as well as winter assignments in New Zealand and South Africa.
Moeen lost his red-ball central contract and his Test future seemed in doubt after he opted to forgo the tour to Sri Lanka, where he had thrived on England’s last visit with 18 wickets at an average of 24.5 18 months ago.
Professional cricket in this country is on hold until July 1 at the earliest, with Moeen saying he is “ticking over” in the meantime thanks to an outdoor net in his garden, playing alongside his six-year-old son.
While the virus death rate is steadily decreasing in the UK, there are still hundreds of casualties per day, and for that reason, Moeen believes he and his team-mates will not be rushed back on to the field.
He added: “With so many people dying around the world – and in this country in particular – it’s difficult for the players to really switch on.
“At the moment it’s too early. Hopefully sport will be back on soon but when the time is right, everyone is safe and the players don’t feel like they’re going out to play and they might get it.”
