Ashes 2019 | England might want to look at Jack Leach for Lord's Test, feels Nasser Hussain

Ashes 2019 | England might want to look at Jack Leach for Lord's Test, feels Nasser Hussain

no photo

|

Getty

Former English captain Nasser Hussain has stated that England might need to consider Jack Leach ahead of Moeen Ali for the second Test at Lord's. On an Edgbaston pitch which offered plenty for the spinners, Ali failed to hit the blocks running, claiming just three wickets in the match.

The autopsy of England's Edgbaston debacle has already begun, with former cricketers and experts alike being vocal about plenty of potential changes for the second Test at Lord's. However, one name which has unanimously come under the scanner has been that of 32-year-old Moeen Ali, whose dismal showing in the first Test has put his place in the team in jeopardy. 

Ali, the team's designated "all-rounder", had a forgettable outing with both bat and ball, as he was taken to the cleaners by Steve Smith & co, before being bamboozled by Nathan Lyon - for the ninth time in his career. Former English skipper Nasser Hussain believes that the Three Lions will have a decision to make with respect to Ali, asserting that they would need to figure out what went wrong with the off-spinner.

“The thing they've got to decide on is Moeen. He's been a fabulous bowler for England over the last two or three years if you look at his stats and how he's done. They just have to decide where he is confidence-wise; is he shot mentally?," Hussain wrote in his column for Sky Sports.

“Is the lack of runs with Lyon being all over him, as he was in Australia, affecting his bowling? Is it slight technical things that he is working on with Saqlain Mushtaq (England's spin bowling coach)? Where is he mentally? Because this game is played in the mind,” he questioned. 

Hussian also suggested England to consider playing left-armer Jack Leach, pointing at stats which indicate Steve Smith struggles against left-arm spin. 

“There are the stats showing Smith is slightly worse against left-arm spin, they might want to try a bit of that and Jack Leach is waiting. It is a decision they are going to have to make, not on whether Moeen Ali is a good cricketer, make no mistake, in England he is a fabulous cricketer - his record speaks for itself,” he said. 

The former English skipper hailed Stuart Broad and Chris Woakes for their consistency, while also stating that Jofra Archer will provide some much-needed pace and variety to the "one-dimensional" English pace attack.

“Obviously for England, what they will like is the fact that Archer will come in for the next game and he will provide them with extra pace so they're not a one-dimensional attack. But I've got to say Stuart Broad, Chris Woakes and Ben Stokes really kept going fantastically well in both innings, one bowler down to put in the efforts they have has been brilliant," he added.

Get updates! Follow us on

Open all