Jonny Bairstow urges England to 'get behind' under-fire Moeen Ali ahead of Ashes finale in Sydney
Mason Crane is pushing for his Test debut as England weigh up dropping Moeen due to his poor form in Australia
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Jonny Bairstow believes England should stand by under-fire all-rounder Moeen Ali in next week’s fifth Ashes Test. Moeen has been struggling for form all series, averaging just 19 with the bat and 135 with the ball. But Bairstow said Moeen was “absolutely” still part of England’s first-choice XI and said the selectors should “get behind” him.
“The guy’s the second-fastest ever to 2000 Test runs and 100 Test wickets,” Bairstow said as the England side arrived in Sydney for the final leg of their Ashes engagement, having got the better of a drawn fourth Test in Melbourne. “It’s unquestionable to even think that he’s not in our best XI. He wouldn’t have played the first four Test matches if he wasn’t.
“There’s not many finger-spinners that will come to Australia and bowl teams out. It’s very important that we get behind Mo. He can take a game away from you, and whether it be the next game or the first Test in New Zealand, the capabilities of Moeen Ali are unquestioned.”
Moeen’s trials and tribulations – which stem partly from his promotion to No 6 at the start of the series ahead of Bairstow, only for the pair to swap places again for the Perth Test – have given rise to speculation that with one eye on the future, Hampshire leg-spinner Mason Crane might be in for a Test debut on what is expected to be a turning Sydney track.
But Bairstow said that even though the series is over England must play their best side, regardless of future considerations. “You’ve got to play your best team,” he said. “We’re still in it to win games of cricket. Whether that’s Mason playing, the XI will be going out to win this next Test match.
“Yes, the series has gone. But you can see from the spirit that the guys showed in the last Test match that by no means is the foot off the gas. We’re very proud to play cricket for England. We’re indebted to the guys coming out, the best fans in the world.
“We’ve been pretty close in all the Test matches, a session and a half either way. It was exactly the same in Melbourne. To put a substantial total on the board and then to apply ourselves with the ball like we did was a great effort, and in that second innings to have them effectively 16-4 gave us a really good chance to win that Test match.”
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments