Moeen Ali was on Monday hoping to play a full part in England training as the spinner looked to prove his fitness ahead of this week's Second Ashes Test.
Moeen made his return to the Test side after a near two-year absence in last week's two-wicket defeat at Edgbaston, the 36-year-old having come out of retirement following Jack Leach's stress fracture of the back.
The all-rounder took three wickets and got through 47 overs across the course of the match but struggled from the second day with blistering on his spinning finger, having gone so long without bowling either with the red ball or in such sustained spells.
The hope is that the seven-day gap between matches will prove sufficient time for Moeen's finger to recover and the skin coarsen, but England have already taken the step of adding Rehan Ahmed to their squad as cover.
The teenage leggie joined training at Lord's this morning and would be in contention to play were Moeen ruled out. Ben Stokes has named at least one spinner in every line-up during his captaincy and Ahmed impressed on Test debut in Pakistan last winter, when he took a second innings five-for and became the country’s youngest ever male cricketer.
Throwing the 18-year-old into an Ashes Test as the sole frontline spinner, however, would be a significant risk and Stokes also has the option of fielding an extra seamer, leaving Joe Root to bowl spin.
Australia are expected to make one change to their side for the Second Test, which starts on Wednesday. Mitchell Starc was this afternoon set to face the media, suggesting the left-arm seamer will play, with one of Scott Boland and Josh Hazlewood to make way. Hazlewood’s workload is being monitored off the back of injury problems, but Boland was targeted by England’s batters in Birmingham.
Rehan Ahmed having a net at Lord’s pic.twitter.com/3v1fxSTJY9
— Malik Ouzia (@MalikOuzia_) June 26, 2023
Meanwhile, Marnus Labuschagne is not getting hung up on his battle with Stuart Broad, despite falling twice to the seamer at Edgbaston.
Broad dismissed the then No1-ranked batter in the world for the first golden duck of his career in the first innings and had him caught behind for just 13 in the second.
“Prior to this series, I don’t think I’d been dismissed by Stuart Broad so it’s not something I’m overthinking,” Labuschagne said.
