Townsville, Nov 13 (AFP) England's Moeen Ali says he hasovercome his side strain and is ready to play his firstAustralian tour match in Townsville this week.
The Worcestershire all-rounder missed England's openingtwo games in Perth and Adelaide but is available for the finalAshes warm-up game against a Cricket Australia XI starting onWednesday.
"I am good," he told reporters on Monday. "It's just aslight strain on my side from throwing.
"It was a bit frustrating but also not a bad thing, youget a lot more work done.
"I feel like I am ready to play and I can't wait to spendtime in the field. We have got four days of cricket ahead.
"I can get a bit of game time in my system and then beready to play, hopefully, at the Gabba."The four-dayer in north Queensland is England's last gamebefore the Ashes series-opener in Brisbane starting onNovember 23.
"It's about being ready for that first ball when it'sdelivered in Brisbane," he said.
Moeen, on his first Ashes tour Down Under, says he isready for the intensity of the series.
"I've heard a lot about Brisbane," he said. "It'ssomething you have to block out. You have to focus on yourgame and the situation that the team is in.
"I'm prepared the best I can. When you're out there yourely on your instincts. I know it will be tough, but I'vealways backed my ability."England head into their third tour match on the back of acomprehensive 192-run win over a CA XI in a day-nightencounter at Adelaide Oval, the venue for the second Testwhich gets underway on December 2.
Moeen, usually England's number eight in Test cricket, islikely to move up the order in the absence of star all-rounderBen Stokes, who remains at home after being arrested onsuspicion of actual bodily harm.
Stokes is awaiting the outcome of a police investigationinto his involvement in a fight outside a Bristol nightclub inSeptember.
"With the Stokesy situation I've probably got to go upthe order by one, but my aim as a cricketer is to get up theorder as high as I can, maybe push into a role at five orsix," said Moeen.
"Obviously that's a bit further ahead. Firstly I have todo the job at number seven." (AFP) CMCM.
This is unedited, unformatted feed from the Press Trust of India wire.