Former England captain Eoin Morgan shared insights on Moeen Ali’s finger injury and his breach of the ICC Code of Conduct during the ongoing Ashes 2023 1st Test between England and Australia. Ali was fined 25 percent of his match fee for using a drying agent on his bowling hand during the match.
Ali also sustained a finger injury that limited his bowling contributions on Day 3 of the Test. Despite the setback, he managed to take two crucial wickets in the first innings, dismissing Travis Head and Cameron Green.
Addressing Ali’s injury, Morgan, speaking on Sky Sports Cricket, noted the bowler’s limited bowling workload during the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023, where he only bowled 26 overs over two months, compared to the 29 overs he bowled on Day 3 of the 1st Ashes Test.
“I think he (Moeen) has bowled 26 overs the whole of the IPL for the two months that he was away, and then he bowled 29 overs yesterday. Something was bound to crop up. You can see a big gash across his finger,” Morgan commented.
Regarding Ali’s fine by the ICC, Morgan pointed out the previous incident involving Indian spinner Ravindra Jadeja, who was fined for similar circumstances. Ali’s use of a drying agent on his bowling arm violated Article 2.20 of the ICC Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel.
“Obviously, a precedent has been set before with (Ravindra) Jadeja fined before on similar circumstances. I like the fact that something has happened quickly and before opinions are being formed and there’s outside pressure,” Morgan added.
Also Read: Ashes 2023: Ricky Ponting Applauds Ben Stokes’ Innovative Field Placement, Hails England’s Bold Approach
Morgan, who led England to victory in the 2019 ODI World Cup, also acknowledged that Australian spinner Nathan Lyon generates more spin on the ball compared to Ali.
“I have never seen a drier wicket in the UK, and that’s what everyone has been saying. Moeen is not someone you expect to spin big, and he was getting big turn in the first innings. If you compare Lyon and Moeen with the revs that they put on the ball, you think Lyon has an advantage and extra overspin on the ball,” explained Eoin Morgan.
Meanwhile, Moeen Ali came out of retirement to join the England squad for Ashes 2023. Having announced his retirement from Test cricket in September 2021 to focus on his batting and bowling in ODIs and T20Is, Ali was recalled for the Ashes 2023 series due to Jack Leach’s absence.