LONDON: Former England skipper Nasser Hussain believes with all-rounder Moeen Ali is in doubt for the second Ashes Test due to an injury on his bowling hand, which could force England into a critical change.
If Moeen pulled out of the second Ashes Test against Australia owing to a serious finger injury, Hussain has encouraged England to turn to speed.
Moeen was lured out of retirement to bolster England's spin options for the Ashes series, but battled a laceration on his spinning finger in the first Test and is in doubt for the high-stakes clash at Lord's.
Rehan Ahmed, a teenage star, has been added to the side as an all-rounder's cover, although Hussain has urged England to play an additional pacer if the Lord's pitch and weather circumstances allow.
"I think they need to have a look at their team a bit. Moeen Ali, his finger, that would be a gamble. I know he's got a week off and he's had this injury before in 2017. Only Moeen will know whether a week is enough for the skin to heal, or whether that would just rip it up again," Hussain told The ICC Review podcast.
Moeen bowled 33 overs in the first innings despite having difficulty with his finger. In addition to being penalised 25 per cent of his match fee for placing a foreign substance on his finger without the umpires' permission, he took two wickets but went for 147 runs.
"He may not bowl as many overs at Lord's. Lord's is not a spinning paradise. Shane Warne never got a five-for there. I might play four seamers and Joe Root as your spinner, but I've not seen the pitch," he added.
The second Ashes Test between Australia and England begins at Lord's on Wednesday. England ended up on the losing side in the first Test match at Edgbaston and lost narrowly by two wickets.
England Squad for Lord's: Ben Stokes (c), Rehan Ahmed, Moeen Ali, James Anderson, Jonathan Bairstow, Stuart Broad, Harry Brook, Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Dan Lawrence, Ollie Pope, Matthew Potts, Ollie Robinson, Joe Root, Josh Tongue, Chris Woakes and Mark Wood.