Moeen returns as England name squad

LONDON: Moeen Ali is in line for his first Test appearance in almost a year, while Essex’s Dan Lawrence could be given a chance to challenge for a place in England’s middle order, after both men were named in a 30-man training squad that will prepare behind closed doors ahead of next month’s Test series against West Indies.

Moeen, who was dropped after the first Test of last summer’s Ashes, opted out of England’s winter tours of New Zealand and South Africa, as well as the trip to Sri Lanka in March that was curtailed midway through the opening warm-up match due to the Covid-19 outbreak.

But having indicated in April that he was “probably ready” to resume his Test career, he joins the 16 players who travelled for that Sri Lanka tour, among them his fellow spinner, Jack Leach, whose involvement in the bio-secure Test series had been in some doubt after his bouts of illness in the winter, including a sepsis diagnosis in New Zealand.

Lawrence, meanwhile, has been given his opportunity after playing a key role in Essex’s two Championship victories in three seasons. His call-up comes off the back of an outstanding winter for England Lions in Australia, where he scored two centuries in the red-ball leg of the tour, including 125 against Australia A at Melbourne, England’s first victory in an unofficial Test in Australia in seven win-less tours.

Also included in the 30-man squad — which will be trimmed to nearer 20 players after the squad has played a three-day warm-up match at the Ageas Bowl, starting July 1.

James Anderson, Jofra Archer and Mark Wood all return after being omitted from the Sri Lanka tour due to injury, while Rory Burns, England’s first-choice opener, is also back, having undergone ankle surgery after sustaining an injury playing football on the eve of the Cape Town Test.

The squad also includes a range of fast bowlers who may well challenge the incumbents given the condensed schedule, with three Tests taking place in as many weeks, and a similar itinerary in store for Pakistan’s visit.

The squad is due to report to the Ageas Bowl on June 23, where they will they stay at the venue’s on-site hotel and practice under the guidance of a red-ball coaching group that will be lead by the head coach Chris Silverwood, with Graham Thorpe alongside him.

Behind-closed-doors training group: Moeen Ali, James Anderson, Jofra Archer, Jonathan Bairstow, Dominic Bess, James Bracey, Stuart Broad, Rory Burns, Jos Buttler, Zak Crawley, Sam Curran, Joe Denly, Ben Foakes, Lewis Gregory, Keaton Jennings, Dan Lawrence, Jack Leach, Saqib Mahmood, Craig Overton, Jamie Overton, Matthew Parkinson, Ollie Pope, Ollie Robinson, Joe Root, Dom Sibley, Ben Stokes, Olly Stoe, Amar Virdi, Chris Woakes, Mark Wood.