Moin Ali can recover from 'avocado finger' with this plan

Moin Ali examines his injured index finger during a bowling game on the fifth day of the first Ashes Test match in Edgbaston. Photo: PA/Mike Egerton

England will be a stronger side for the Lord if Moin Ali is in it. But it will require his finger to heal, which is much easier said than done in just a week.

Right now, Moen's finger will look like a ripe avocado; hard and ribbed on top, but soft on the bottom. In this state, the finger is very difficult to turn on the ball and serve the ball accurately.

Moeen&#39 ;s finger is at the center of the debate Credit: PA/Nick Potts

Nathan Lyon, Moen's advertising colleague, said it best: «It's like a singer losing his vocal cords at the Royal Opera House.»

If Moin twirled the ball the way Joe Root did, England would have won the match.

England cannot afford to be in this position in the second Test and for that reason Moen should not play until he has recovered. I am sure that this will be his main task between matches.

Over the course of my career, I have had several tricks up my sleeve to protect my finger. While my old teammate Graham Swann preferred to use his urine to harden his finger early in his career, I used to dip that finger in surgical alcohol every morning and evening as part of my daily routine to make my skin smoother. as much as possible. This would allow the skin to resist the seam digging into the flesh, while at the same time giving me the opportunity to spin the ball.

2306 the same procedure as using surgical alcohol to help heal and strengthen the wound.

Managing his workload will also play a key role in his recovery. If it was me, I wouldn't be trying to bowl until Sunday to give my finger time to recover. Then three days before the test, I tried to do 10 to 15 overs in the net every day to see if the finger was ready to take on the load that would be required on a dry field. This will allow England to make an informed choice.

2306 moeen

If Moen doesn't heal in time, Ripple Attack is definitely a viable option. But if Ben Stokes and Brandon McCallum need a frontline player, as they have done so far, then it has to be Rehan Ahmed. Complement Root, who did an impressive job with the ball at Edgbaston.

While Will Jacks is a good option who has shown in Pakistan that he can take wickets, his off-spin quality is too close to Root's to justify choice.

Bazball's choice is undoubtedly Ahmed. Despite being a teenager, his ability to turn the ball both ways and bat aggressively makes him the perfect player for this setup.

Rehan Ahmed will probably be the best 'Bazball' selection Credit: Getty Images/Matthew Lewis.

Following Jack Leach's injury, the debate over who to call out of Moen, Ahmed, Jax and Liam Dawson has shown that the English game is still struggling to develop spin bowling. There is no proven player in the county game that feels like a natural call to the level of testing.

When I played county cricket, I would take 25 to 30 wickets by mid-June. The counties are now not giving spinners a chance at the start of the season, which is partly why England have turned to Moeen.

A more English game should look into this area and see how they can develop spinners for the Reds. ball cricket, not counties determined to turn their spinners into whiteball specialists.

If that doesn't happen, England is in for more spinner injuries that undermine their entire team.