O triunfo do Santos contra o Blooming, pela primeira rodada da Copa Sul-Americana, significou mais que apenas três pontos. Para João Paulo, o jogo permitiu que o goleiro chegasse ao posto de jogador do Peixe com mais jogos na história da competição, de acordo com dados da OptaJoao.
Com essa marca batida, João Paulo, que realizou 12 partidas pelo Peixe, ultrapassou o lateral-esquerdo Léo, um dos maiores ídolos do Santos na posição.
+ Veja o guia completo do Santos na Sul-Americana
continua após a publicidadeRelacionadasSantosVÍDEO: Os melhores momentos da sofrida vitória do Santos sobre o Blooming na Sul-AmericanaSantos05/04/2023SantosBauermann lamenta confusão e objetos arremessados contra jogadores do Santos: ‘Que sejam punidos’Santos05/04/2023SantosATUAÇÕES: Sem evoluções aparentes no time, Bauermann salva Santos na estreia pela Sul-AmericanaSantos04/04/2023
+ATUAÇÕES: Sem evoluções aparentes no time, Bauermann salva Santos na estreia pela Sula
O goleiro se junta a mais dois jogadores no topo da lista: o centroavante William Batoré, que vestiu o manto alvinegro entre 2001 e 2005, e o ponta Lucas Braga, que ainda atua pelo Peixe.
CONFIRA OS JOGADORES DO SANTOS COM MAIS JOGOS NA COPA SUL-AMERICANA
1º – João Paulo – 12 jogos na competição 2º – Lucas Braga – 12 jogos na competição 3º – William Batoré – 12 jogos na competição 4º – Léo – 11 jogos na competição 5º – Elano- 9 jogos na competição 6º – Zanocelo- 9 jogos na competição 7º – André Luis- 9 jogos na competição 8º – Gabriel Pirani -9 jogos na competição 9º – Camacho – 9 jogos na competição
Ruben Amorim can breathe a huge sigh of relief ahead of the Manchester derby as the Red Devils have reportedly received positive updates on Matheus Cunha. Concerns had grown when the Brazilian limped off during the Red Devils’ thrilling 3-2 victory over Burnley last weekend, sparking fears of a lengthy absence.
Cunha injury boost for UnitedMount setback could open door for MainooHuge Manchester derby test looms aheadFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?
Cunha’s injury drama unfolded just minutes into the contest at Turf Moor, with the forward visibly struggling before being forced to withdraw. His absence from Brazil’s 2026 World Cup qualifiers only heightened concern that United’s summer signing might face a damaging spell on the sidelines.
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Now, according to Cunha’s knock is far less severe than first thought. The belief within the camp is that the 26-year-old could even make it back in time for the crunch clash against Manchester City at the Etihad on September 14.
WHAT CUNHA SAID
Cunha was seen walking out of Old Trafford later that evening without any visible discomfort, a sign that perhaps the injury wasn’t as alarming as feared. Adding to the optimism, the forward later shared a message on Instagram, writing: "What an incredible environment, it’s great to be here. I’ll be back soon, always with joy and gratitude. Thanks for all the messages."
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While Cunha’s news provides much-needed positivity, not everything is rosy at Old Trafford. Mason Mount’s fitness is now a growing concern, with the midfielder’s unspecified injury casting doubt over his participation in the derby. Mount soldiered on for half an hour against Burnley before being replaced at the break by Kobbie Mainoo. The young talent impressed with his composure, and Amorim could now be preparing to hand the academy product his first Premier League start of the season at the Etihad.
“It’s just about being present and playing what’s in front of you now; all the other things will take care of themselves”
Tristan Lavalette01-Mar-2023
Cameron Bancroft is the leading run-scorer in the Sheffield Shield with 767 runs at 63.91•Getty Images
Having not been parachuted into Australia’s tough tour of India, in-form opener Cameron Bancroft is instead focusing on continuing his run glut in the domestic season ahead of the Ashes.Australian selectors resisted replacing the injured David Warner with Bancroft, who is the leading run-scorer in the Sheffield Shield with 767 runs at 63.91 with four centuries.Bancroft played 10 Tests sandwiched between his lengthy ban for his part in the infamous ball-tampering saga, with the last being during the 2019 Ashes in the UK.Related
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With middle-order batter Travis Head being backed as the opener for the third Test in Indore, the 30-year-old Bancroft will have to bide his time as he makes his case to be part of Australia’s mid-year Ashes tour.He admitted to having little dialogue with Australia’s hierarchy recently.”Not a whole lot,” Bancroft told reporters in Perth just hours before the Indore Test match started. “[Australia’s chief selector] George Bailey has been at a couple of our games and he’s obviously floating around watching a lot of the domestic cricket.”But Bancroft understands what he needs to do to earn a long-awaited Test recall.”Just going out there and playing well and doing the best you can,” he said. “Obviously, the Test team are away in India at the moment … what happens in the future with what I do there and that space, I guess it’s just about being present and playing what’s in front of you now.”That’s something I’m really focused on doing and I’m sure all the other things will take care of themselves.”Having been overlooked for a spot in India, Bancroft has been watching from afar Australia’s batting travails on spinning surfaces.”It’s looked really challenging and obviously they’ve got some really good quality spinners. I’m sure the guys are really learning a lot over there,” he said.A couple of seasons ago Bancroft’s career was in limbo having been dropped from Western Australia’s Shield team. It was a fall for the hardnosed batter once touted as a future Test captain.As a 22-year-old, he memorably batted for 13 hours and made a double century against New South Wales to evoke comparisons to his childhood hero Justin Langer.Aided by some mentoring from Langer, who he has worked with privately, Bancroft has rediscovered his penchant for grinding down bowlers. He has faced 1694 deliveries in this season’s Shield – 543 more than next most Dan Hughes.Bancroft has also unveiled attacking flair which he showcased during Perth Scorchers’ BBL title defence, where he became a key cog at the top of the opener having started the season on the outer.He’s becoming an alluring prospect for Australia across formats with Bancroft taking heed from his previous international experience.”I like to think that as time goes by you improve and learn the lessons from your previous opportunities,” he said.”I just try to keep that in mind, from previous times I’ve played for Australia to how you come out and play in Shield cricket and all forms for WA.”If an opportunity comes hopefully I’m in a better place to play well, but right now the focus is really on WA and we’ll see what happens down the track.”Bancroft is eyeing been part of a sweep of domestic titles with WA to host South Australia in the 50-over Marsh Cup final on March 8. They can also secure a home Shield final for the second straight season with a victory over Tasmania in the four-day match starting on Thursday at the WACA.Star allrounder Mitchell Marsh has been named in the 13-man Shield squad as he continues his return from a three-month injury layoff ahead of next month’s ODI tour of India, while Scorchers captain Ashton Turner is also in the selection frame to end a near three-year exile from first class cricket.
Manchester United's move for Bournemouth star Antoine Semenyo is reportedly contingent on if they qualify for next season's Champions League.
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Man Utd want Bournemouth's Semenyo
Move contingent on Champions League spot
£150m transfer plan revealed as exits likely
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WHAT HAPPENED?
The Independent states that United have made advances on Semenyo, but the possibility of the £60 million-rated ($79.9m) forward arriving this summer may hinge on winning the Europa League and selling some players. Conversely, the report adds that Ipswich Town striker Liam Delap could be signed if they win the competition or not, with the 22-year-old having a £30m ($40m) relegation release clause.
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This is part of United's wider transfer plan, which includes trying to sign Wolves' Matheus Cunha for around £60m and attempting to sell struggling attackers Rasmus Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee. The report adds that both men, who have a combined Premier League goal tally of seven this season, are on the market – with Juventus being linked with Hojlund and Inter Milan eyeing a loan move for Zirkzee. The fact that the Red Devils may cash in on the duo, who cost £108m ($143.7m) in total, after a combined three years at Old Trafford is telling.
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Left winger Semenyo is on a contract until 2029 at Bournemouth. The 25-year-old has scored nine goals and bagged six assists in 35 Premier League games this season.
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WHAT NEXT?
Before United can plough ahead with their summer transfer plans, they travel to Champions League-chasing Chelsea on Friday in their penultimate Premier League fixture this season.
Kylian Mbappe wrote a heartfelt tribute for his team-mate Luka Modric, who has announced that he'll leave Real Madrid in the summer.
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Luka Modric to leave Madrid this summerCroatian spent 13 seasons at Santiago BernabeuMbappe penned a heartfelt tributeFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?
Real Madrid legend Modric announced on Thursday that he would depart from the club this summer, calling curtains on a historic 13-year stint during which he won as many as six Champions Leagues, the Ballon d'Or in 2018, and became the oldest player to ever feature for the Spanish giants. Following his announcement, his teammate and long-time international nemesis, Mbappe, shared a heartfelt tribute on his social media accounts.
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Taking to his Instagram, Mbappe wrote: “Brate, I was lucky enough to be able to play and share the locker room with you this season. I saw closer what GREATNESS really means… Before being one of the best players of all time, you are a wonderful person. You wrote the history of the best club in the world for more than a decade and won everything. But you won something / that has no price: the respect and the admiration of the world. Thank you for everything LEGEND.”
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Modric signed for Madrid from Tottenham Hotspur in 2012 and was voted as the worst signing of the season by Spanish publication MARCA. However, he produced some unforgettable moments and was the epitome of consistency throughout his career, aging like a fine wine and showcasing his longevity at the highest level. Modric will have one more trophy to add to his collection when Madrid participate in the revamped Club World Cup next month. The Croatian has won 28 titles at the club and would leave as the most decorated player in club's history.
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Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR LUKA MODRIC?
The 39-year-old will receive a deserved farewell from the Madrid faithful at the Santiago Bernabeu on Saturday, May 24, when Los Blancos welcome Real Sociedad for their final game of the season. Head coach Carlo Ancelotti will also receive a farewell as he'll be joining the Brazil national team, while Lucas Vázquez is also expected to be given a worthy reception.
The spin-bowling allrounder is not carrying an injury, and is expected to return for the ODI series
Alex Malcolm22-Feb-2023Ashton Agar has gone home from the tour of India to play domestic cricket for Western Australia. No additions are being made to Australia’s Test squad ahead of the third Border-Gavaskar Test in Indore, starting March 1.”He [Agar] has been very open with us and he has absolutely worked his backside off in order to get it right, to put himself up and be an option,” Tony Dodemaide, Australia’s selector on tour, told reporters in Delhi on Wednesday. “We absolutely acknowledge that there’s been no lack of effort from Ashton.”Agar arrived in India with the Test squad as an incumbent in Australia’s XI, having played as the second spinner alongside Nathan Lyon in their last home Test of the summer against South Africa in Sydney.Related
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But he was not selected for the first Test in Nagpur, with offspinner Todd Murphy chosen ahead of him to make his Test debut and partner Lyon alongside two fast bowlers. Then in the second Test in Delhi, Australia opted for three spinners but Agar was once again left out, with fellow left-arm orthodox Matthew Kuhnemann making his Test debut despite having not been part of the original squad and having only flown to India five days prior to the start of the Test match.Dodemaide took the unusual step of speaking to the Australian media prior to the toss on the first morning in Delhi to explain the selections. He explained that Agar was not selected because “his red-ball bowling is not quite where he wants it to be”. Dodemaide and Agar met at the team hotel on Tuesday, and it was decided that Agar would head home.Dodemaide explained that it was a “close call” to pick Murphy over Agar for the first Test.”Todd’s come on tremendously, as we know, and he’s been a real find for us for this,” Dodemaide said. “Those two [Murphy and Lyon] are now clearly established, I think, as the best two spinners, and they have 18 out of the 24 [wickets] to fall so far for us.6:46
Hayden: “When you sweep, you have to be absolutely certain the ball won’t hit the stumps”
“We just decided that Matthew’s style might be suited to the conditions there [in Delhi, for the second Test]. Matthew’s done nothing wrong, he took Virat Kohli’s wicket and did a really solid job, we thought.”Agar remained likely to return to India with the ODI squad in March – he has been an important cog in Australia’s plans ahead of the World Cup in India later in the year.Cameron Green likely to be fit for third TestAustralia are 2-0 down in the series, and Josh Hazlewood and David Warner have already gone back home with injuries. Unlike them, Agar will leave fully fit and available to play in WA’s next Sheffield Shield game on March 2 and the 50-over Marsh Cup final that WA will host on March 8.Mitchell Swepson will fly back to India, having gone home prior to the Delhi Test for the birth of his first child. Pat Cummins is also booked to return to India ahead of the third Test, having flown home for family reasons following the Delhi Test, but his situation remains fluid.Australia have not added another batter to the squad to replace Warner, as Cameron Green is expected to be fit for the third Test.
Despite being strong on paper, RCB have not fired collectively as a unit
Srinidhi Ramanujam07-Mar-2023
Smriti Mandhana wants at least one of their top four to bat deep•BCCI
Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Gujarat GiantsTwo games and two defeats. Bottom dwellers Royal Challengers Bangalore and Gujarat Giants are sailing on the same boat, with both teams desperate to get off the mark and keep their knockouts hope alive.Just two matches into the inaugural edition, Royal Challengers are already being compared by fans with their men’s side in the IPL: strong on paper but have not fired collectively as a unit. Smriti Mandhana will be keen to change that perception and collect those two crucial points. In their previous game against Mumbai Indians, the captain stressed the importance of one of the top four batting deep to guide them to a competitive total, which has not happened so far. Their bowlers are still toiling for wickets. After two losses, allrounder Dane van Niekerk could replace Sophie Devine in their quest for first victory.Meanwhile, Giants are still without their captain Beth Mooney, who suffered a knee injury in their opener against Mumbai Indians, and there is no official update if she would take the field on Wednesday. However, pacer Kim Garth, who has taken over Deandra Dottin’s place in the squad, has bolstered the bowling. With five of Giants’ six bowlers in the XI being capped internationals, they will rely heavily on their bowling to move out of the last spot on the table.Players to watch For Royal Challengers, Shreyanka Patil showed glimpses of potential in her confident 15-ball 23 against Mumbai. Though the spin-bowling allrounder went for runs with the ball, she could play a key role against Giants. Wicketkeeper Richa Ghosh hasn’t come to the party yet, and expect her to light up the stage after two dull innings.Kim Garth returned with a five-for against UP Warriorz, with three of those coming in the powerplay. The Australian could once again be a top performer for Giants. D Hemalatha has also played two crucial knocks in two matches, lower down the order, and will be determined to carry that form into this match as well.Playing XIs Royal Challengers Bangalore (possible): 1 Smriti Mandhana (capt), 2 Sophie Devine/Dane van Niekerk, 3 Disha Kasat, 4 Ellyse Perry, 5 Heather Knight, 6 Richa Ghosh (wk), 7 Kanika Ahuja, 8 Shreyanka Patil, 9 Megan Schutt, 10 Renuka Singh, 11 Preeti Bose/Sahana PawarGujarat Giants (possible): 1 Sophia Dunkley, 2 S Meghana, 3 Harleen Deol, 4 Ashleigh Gardner, 5 Sushma Verma (wk), 6 Dayalan Hemalatha, 7 Annabel Sutherland/Georgia Wareham, 8 Sneh Rana (capt), 9 Tanuja Kanwar, 10 Kim Garth, 11 Mansi JoshiStats and trivia RCB have taken just three wickets from their two matches so far.Only Harleen Deol has crossed the 30-run mark in an innings in Giants’ line-up.Quotes”As batters, we need to put up a good total on board. It’s a pretty short tournament, we can’t dwell on it. In franchise cricket, even after two losses, we can turn it around quickly.” “I enjoy being the leader. The responsibility comes on your shoulders. You have the time to show your leadership. The girls fought very hard. Whenever the team needs me, I will do my best.”
James Anderson has overhauled Australia’s captain Pat Cummins to become the No.1 Test bowler in the ICC rankings, off the back of his role in England’s 267-run win against New Zealand in Mount Maunganui last week.At the age of 40 years and 207 days, Anderson is also the oldest player to top the rankings since Clarrie Grimmett, the Australian legspinner, in 1936, having played an integral part in the recent success of England’s Test team, which has now won ten of its past 11 matches.It is the sixth time that Anderson has gone to the top of the rankings in a career that began against Zimbabwe at Lord’s in May 2003, and has now spanned 178 Test appearances and 682 wickets, placing him third on the all-time list behind the spin duo of Muthiah Muralidaran (800) and Shane Warne (708).
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In May 2016, Anderson went past his long-time team-mate Stuart Broad, as well as India’s R Ashwin, to top the rankings for the first time, and most recently he held the top spot for five months in 2018 before being displaced by South Africa fast bowler Kagiso Rabada.It has the potential to be a short return to the top, however. With a total of 866 ranking points, Anderson is just two points ahead of Ashwin in second place, who also delivered a strong showing in India’s most recent Test win over Australia in Delhi last week. Cummins is now third on 858, but could himself regain top billing with two Tests to come against India in the next fortnight, despite flying home this week to address a health issue in the family.Wanindu Hasaranga overtook Rashid Khan to become the No. 1 T20I bowler•ICC via Getty
Nevertheless, the achievement is further proof of Anderson’s remarkable longevity. In the course of his seven wickets at Mount Maunganui, he brought his overall Test average down below 26 for the first time since his maiden series in 2003, but the sense that he is improving with age is backed up by his form in the last five years of his career.Since turning 35 in July 2017, Anderson has now taken 202 wickets in 56 subsequent games, at an average of 20.56. At Mount Maunganui, he and Broad also overhauled the Test record for most wickets taken as a bowling partnership, which previously stood at 1001 between Australia’s Glenn McGrath and Shane Warne.”They’re the GOATs, aren’t they? I can’t see that record being broken for a very long time,” Ben Stokes, England’s captain, said after the first Test win. “Warne and McGrath were an unbelievable combination, but I think the way in which Test cricket is going now with everything else to players, I can’t see that record being broken any time soon. I can’t ever see it being broken.”Related
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Elsewhere in the rankings, New Zealand’s pairing Tom Blundell (11th) and Devon Conway (17th) have risen to career-high positions, as have England’s trio of Ollie Pope (23rd), Harry Brook (31st) and Ben Duckett (38th).India’s players also received a boost following their emphatic victory over Australia, with Ravindra Jadeja moving up seven places to ninth following his seven-wicket haul in the second innings, and Axar Patel – who is the second leading run-scorer for the series so far with 158 runs – moving up two places to fifth on the latest Test all-rounder rankings.In the T20I bowling rankings, Sri Lanka’s Wanindu Hasaranga has leapfrogged Afghanistan’s Rashid Khan to the top, as a consequence of Rashid taking only four wickets in three matches against UAE last week.For UAE, Muhammad Waseem rose six places to seventh in the T20I batting list, after scoring 199 runs at an average of 66.33 in the three games.
Did India fall into the trap of picking an attack that works only for the first innings at the WTC final? Ricky Ponting, the former Australia captain, certainly thinks so.Ponting said on television commentary that the dryness underneath the surface, which had more than just a sprinkling of live grass, would have brought him into the game, especially with Australia having four left-hand batters in the top seven – Usman Khawaja, David Warner, Travis Head and Alex Carey.”Australia have many left-handers; Ashwin would trouble the left-handers more than Jadeja. I saw the grass, yes there was grass but the deeper I looked, it seemed dry to me,” Ponting said on Star Sports.Former India captain Sachin Tendulkar, meanwhile, felt highly-skilled bowlers like Ashwin had the potential to take pitches out of the equation, so it was worth India taking a punt on him.”It need not be always a turning track as sometimes the spinners rely a lot on the bounce, sometimes that little bit of zip that they get off the pitch, also on the overhead conditions and it depends a lot on the shiny side of the ball,” he said in the build-up to the toss, on his website . “If they are able to get that drift, they can make the ball talk in the air without the pitch coming into play. So, The Oval is going to be good venue for India.”Former India batter Sanjay Manjrekar echoed Ponting’s views on the surface, expressing surprise at Ashwin’s omission. Speaking on ESPNcricinfo’s analysis show Match Day, he cited Ashwin’s success against Australia, both in Australia (2020-21) and India (2022-23) and his overall record overseas since 2018.”It seems like they’re convinced this pitch is very seam-friendly, because Ashwin of late in overseas matches has been pretty good,” Manjrekar said. “There’s clearly a green look to it [pitch] but the soil underneath looked white to suggest there’s some dryness as well, and The Oval historically has never been a seaming pitch.”Manjrekar also felt Jasprit Bumrah’s non-availability may have influenced the team management, pushing them towards four seamers and one spinner instead of a 3-2 attack. With Mohammed Siraj and Mohammed Shami picking themselves and India seemingly intent on playing Shardul Thakur for the all-round depth he lends alongside Ravindra Jadeja, it was between Umesh Yadav and Ashwin for the final spot and India went with the former.In Thakur’s favour, his previous performance at The Oval was match turning: twin half-centuries to go with three wickets to help India to a 157-run win and go 2-1 up against England in September 2021.Former Australia wicketkeeper Brad Haddin, Manjrekar’s co-panelist on Match Day, also felt the absence of a fierce competitor like Ashwin in a contest as big as this may put “massive pressure” on India’s four-pronged pace attack.”It [Ashwin] would’ve been the first name I would’ve looked at [on the team sheet] if I was one of the [opposition’s] left-handers,” he said. “You want a player, especially in a big event like this, who walks towards the fire. And Ashwin’s definitely one of those guys against Australia.”He loves playing against them, gets into the contest. I know he gets under the skin of the Australian batsmen. One of the big successes India have had over Australia has been due to Ashwin’s presence. They’ll miss him out there and the pressure is on four quicks to put pressure on that middle order.”
Did the experience of the previous WTC final play a part in India’s decision?
Ashwin was part of India’s XI when they played the WTC final in 2021 against New Zealand in Southampton. Back then, India fielded three seamers and two spinners, while New Zealand played four specialist seamers and had a fifth option in allrounder Colin de Grandhomme.It’s a decision India rued later, as they lost in conditions where there was plenty for the fast bowlers all through – and rain around. Ashwin didn’t feature in any of the four subsequent Tests India played later in that summer against England.Were India scarred by that decision from 2021?”Maybe,” Manjrekar said. “But conditions were different. It was a venue where seam bowlers had to bowl. New Zealand had five seam options. I believe you have to look at the history of a certain venue and a pitch rather than how a pitch looks on day one.”Ashwin, for many reasons, would’ve been a good selection [here], plus he adds a bit of batting depth as well. The Ashwin we saw against New Zealand in that WTC final and the Ashwin of today, there’s a marked change in the way he bowls. This Ashwin you’d think would’ve done well in these conditions. Having said that, Jadeja against the left-handers isn’t too bad, maybe that is the reason why they felt we can still it do with one spinner.”
Allrounder admits he would have “probably not” have answered an SOS call from a captain other than Ben Stokes
Vithushan Ehantharajah13-Jun-2023
Moeen Ali speaks to the media•Philip Brown/Getty Images
Moeen Ali is viewing his return to Test cricket as “a free hit” and revealed he might not have come out of retirement for the Ashes had Ben Stokes not been the England captain positing the question.Speaking at Edgbaston, ahead of Friday’s first Test against Australia, Moeen was phlegmatic, even self-deprecating about his merits as Jack Leach’s replacement. Leach’s stress fracture of the back has brought Moeen back into the fray after stepping away from the format at the end of the 2021 summer.The last of Moeen’s 64 Tests came in September 2021, when he moved exclusively into limited-overs cricket. It was after news of Leach’s injury had been confirmed on the Sunday after the conclusion of England’s victory over Ireland, that Moeen was contacted about the possibility of returning.The conversation, first instigated by Stokes with a message simply saying “Ashes?” – Moeen, oblivious to Leach’s diagnosis, replied simply with “lol”, thinking it was a joke – eventually came to a positive conclusion last Tuesday.
“Probably not, no,” said Moeen when asked if he’d have answered the call of duty if someone other than Stokes had asked. Naturally, he found the opportunity to play in the environment created under Stokes and head coach Brendon McCullum too good to turn down, particularly with the carrot of a high-profile Ashes series.”Just the fact that it’s the Ashes and it’s such a big series and the exciting cricket the guys have been playing,” he explained. “It’s a kind of era I’d have loved when I was playing [previously]. It’s the Ashes: to be part of it would be amazing.”When I retired I was done and that was the end of playing. But the unfortunate injury to Leachy meant I got a message and a call from Stokesy and Baz and Keysy [Rob Key]. So let’s see what happens.”I don’t look at it like a Test career. It is a free hit. I’m not playing for my spot. There’s no pressure, really. There is pressure of the occasion and the game, but I spoke to Baz and he said he’s not bothered about how I perform, which is quite nice.”As an individual, I want to do well and contribute to winning games. All the things I ever wanted to do in Test cricket I’m going to try to do in these games. It could be dangerous, it could be not so dangerous. We’ll see.”I spoke to Stokesy about how he talked to batters and he just said, ‘It would be perfect for you and the way you play’. There’s no question marks over any shots you play; that gives me licence to play a few more rash shots I guess. Even with the ball, he’s more on the aggressive side. I know I’d go for runs but he knows there’s also some wicket-taking deliveries in between, which is all he cares about really.”There remains understandable reservations about how Moeen effectively will replace Leach given the scale of his work across all of Stokes’ 13 Tests so far. As well as being the joint leading wicket-taker since the start of last summer with 47 dismissals, Leach has bowled 515.1 overs, 179 more than any other bowler.Moeen, however, does not anticipate any issues. Despite subsisting on limited-overs cricket, most recently dealing in four-over stints when called upon in the IPL, he said he would not have chosen to return to Test cricket if he did not think he could manage the workload.”If I didn’t think I could get through overs, I probably would have said no,” he said. “I feel like I’ve been bowling a lot in practice and over in India I bowled quite a bit. I think I’ll be fine. It will be fielding that will be the hardest thing, being out there for the whole day. Again, you get used to it after a day and it will be fine.”During the IPL, most of the time when you bowl it’s more than four overs. I bowl quite a bit in practice. I think that’s one of the reasons why Stokesy did give me a call because I was working on trying to be as tight as I can.”Bowling “tight” however, is unlikely to be his remit. Even at the height of a career that returned 195 wickets, an economy rate of 3.61, while not outrageous, spoke of an offspinner who was not known for restricting batters. Indeed Moeen’s clarity in the new set-up emanates from openly accepting his shortcomings in pursuit of the wicket-taking deliveries, particularly with Australia’s left-hand-heavy top order.”I’ve never been able to hold an end up,” Moeen said. “When I have, it’s because I’ve been taking wickets. That’s the only time I’ve been able to build any pressure. Ben and Baz know that. You want to take wickets all the time. There might be times I do need to build pressure and play what’s in front of me. I’m sure they know what they are going to get from me – there won’t be a lot of maidens.”I’ve hardly ever bowled for England where I’ve thought I need to go at two an over, because I just know I’ve never been able to do that from a young age. They have lefties. But I know they’re brilliant players of spin and a lot of them are very dangerous. They’ve been quite successful in India against Ashwin and these guys.”I know it’s going to be hard work. Yes of course, being left-handers, it’s nice for an offspinner to bowl at them, but it is also hard work against a top side like this. I’m going to have to bowl well.”As for how Australia will approach him, he is well aware he will be targeted: “If I was them, I’d do the same. I’m expecting them to come after me, which could be dangerous because Stokesy likes having the fielders up. It could go for a lot of runs.”All told, Moeen against Australia has been a very one-sided battle. Having taken 12 wickets in 2015 – the last time England won the Ashes – he was taken apart for an average of 115 across five Tests of the 2017-18 series, before losing his place to Leach after the first Test in 2019.An overall average of 64.65 speaks of the problems they have posed him. But heading into his fourth Ashes, Moeen hopes age will help him come up with solutions.”The majority of those numbers were in Australia, where I’ve found it quite difficult to bowl,” he said. “I did have a couple of little issues there, but they have always played me well. I have picked up a few wickets here and there, particularly in England.”I think I’m a bit smarter with my bowling [now]. When I played previously, I just bowled and didn’t think too much about it. I know I’ve been out of the game, but have thought if I played Australia again I would do this differently, or this differently. I’m going to try to do those things.”