Andrew McDonald warns England face ‘challenge’ in replacing Jack Leach with Moeen Ali in the Ashes

Australia coach Andrew McDonald has warned England they face a challenge to replace the injured Jack Leach with Moeen Ali in the upcoming Ashes series.

The 35-year-old was officially added to England’s Ashes squad last week after answering coach Brendon McCullum’s SOS call to come out of Test retirement.

He replaces Leach, who was ruled out of the series with a stress fracture in his back.

And McDonald believes the short turnaround between Moeen’s return to Test cricket and the start of the series on Friday at Edgbaston could complicate England’s plans to regain the urn.

‘There’s a challenge there,’ he told reporters on Tuesday when asked about Leach’s absence.

Australia coach Andrew McDonald has warned England they face a challenge in replacing Jack Leach with Moeen Ali ahead of the Ashes 

Moeen will return to Test cricket after two years in place of the injured Jack Leach in the Ashes

‘Mo hasn’t played a red-ball game for an extended period of time, no doubt he’ll be prepared, he’s had a couple of weeks’ notice.

‘But think Jack Leach really complemented that attack and his wicket-taking ability and the way Ben Stokes has used him has been a little more aggressive and has reaped some great rewards.

‘It won’t be the same but they’ll have to operate fractionally differently no doubt about that.’

Moeen, who will celebrate his 36th birthday during the first Test, has scored 2,914 Test runs and taken 195 wickets.

But he averages 64.65 with the ball in 11 Tests against Australia and he hasn’t played red ball cricket for England since his 64th and hitherto last appearance against India at The Oval two years ago.

He called time on his Test career to concentrate on white-ball cricket in 2021 and declined the chance to return to the longest format of the game when McCullum made a similar call to him last year and asked him to tour Pakistan.

Despite concerns over Moeen’s record against Australia, former England off-spinner Graeme Swann said last week the hosts were in a better position because of his return.

‘I think it makes us stronger,’ Swann, a three-time Ashes winner during his England career, told Mail Sport.

Moeen’s 64th and so far last Test appearance for England came against India in 2021

Leach was ruled out of the Ashes series with a stress fracture in his lower back 

England coach Brendon McCullum (left) and captain Ben Stokes looked to lure Moeen out of retirement for the series against Pakistan in December but to no vail 

‘Which is hard on Jack, because he was doing a good job with the ball. 

‘But it extends the batting, which is important. And with all their lefties [Australia are expected to pick four left-handers in their top seven] we’ve got an off-spinner bowling at them.’

Meanwhile, McDonald admitted on Tuesday that Australia were yet to finalise their XI the opening Test of the Ashes after beating India by 209 runs to clinch the World Test Championship on Sunday.

If they are all injury-free as expected, Scott Boland, Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood face being squeezed into two spots with Pat Cummins safe as captain. 

Mitchell Starc’s spot could be in danger after a difficult performance against India

Hazlewood did not play against India and he’s fit again, but faces a battle to regain his spot after Boland took five wickets at The Oval in the WTC final.

Starc, meanwhile, has been a mainstay of the Australian attack for years but had the most expensive game of his career against India, going at 5.34 an over. 

‘It’s no different to any team you pick at any point in time,’ McDonald told reporters. 

‘We value Mitch [Starc] and what he’s been able to do but we also value Scott [Boland] and Josh [Hazlewood] and Patty [Cummins] is clearly an automatic pick being the captain and then you’ve got Nathan Lyon and Cameron Green in and around that.’