England are awaiting a decision from Moeen Ali, having offered the all-rounder the chance to ride to their Ashes rescue.
Moeen has been approached about the possibility of coming out of Test retirement for the series after Jack Leach was ruled out through injury.
On Sunday, it was announced that Leach has suffered a stress fracture of the back and will play no part against Australia.
The Somerset bowler had been the sole specialist spinner in England’s 16-man squad and with a dearth of viable alternatives in county cricket, Ben Stokes has asked Moeen to consider a return.
England do not meet up to train at Edgbaston until next Tuesday, meaning Moeen has time to weigh up his decision.
The 35-year-old played the last of his 67 Tests against India at The Oval in the summer of 2021 and has not played any first-class red-ball cricket since, focusing solely on limited-overs formats.
He did, however, tease a return to Test cricket last year following conversations with new head coach Brendon McCullum, before ultimately rejecting the chance to tour Pakistan just before Christmas.
The Warwickshire all-rounder has most recently been in action at the Indian Premier League as part of Chennai Super Kings’ victorious side but could be parachuted in to join England’s Ashes squad ahead of the first Test, which starts at Moeen’s home ground on June 16.
Moeen is by far the most experienced option available to England, with the likes of Will Jacks and Rehan Ahmed having only made Test debuts in Pakistan last year, while Liam Dawson is seen as a safe pair of hands but played the most recent of his three Tests seven years ago.
Having Moeen at No8 would also significantly strengthen England’s batting, but his bowling record against Australia is poor, with just 20 wickets in 11 matches at an average of almost 65, albeit his returns have been better at home.
