Moeen Ali says he is glad to be over his injury scare and is looking forward to playing at The Gabba in the opening Ashes Test (1:05)
Moeen Ali has declared himself fit and ready to take on Australia in next week’s first Test at Brisbane, after overcoming the side strain that has kept him out of action for the last ten days.
Moeen, who picked up the injury during the squad’s first middle practice in Perth, missed England’s first two warm-up matches at the WACA and Adelaide Oval, but is set to take part in their final four-day contest, against a Cricket Australia XI in Townsville, starting on Wednesday.
“I’m good,” Moeen told reporters in Queensland. “I just had a slight strain in my side, throwing. I actually went for a rub and the physio said I had a slight strain, so I just had to be careful. I probably could have played that last game but just stayed on the safe side. I’ll be all right.”
While Moeen was understandably eager to get back to action, he felt that his time on the sidelines was not without its benefits. “It was a bit frustrating not playing but also not a bad thing,” he said. “You get a lot more work done than anybody else.
“Sometimes when you’re playing you don’t get the chance to focus on yourself. Another benefit of not playing those two games is that it makes you hungrier to get out there and be with the guys.
“I’m ready to go now. I can’t wait to put my whites on and start performing, getting a bit of game time in my system and then I’ll be ready to play at the Gabba.”
Australia’s traditional venue for the first Test of their summer is one of the most notorious grounds for visiting teams – no side has won there since West Indies’ fast bowlers ruled the roost in 1988. However Moeen said he was unconcerned by the reputation of the “Gabbatoir”.
“I’m very excited and looking forward to the atmosphere,” he said. “Australians like to talk a lot, big themselves up. That’s part of the game. It’s not something that I haven’t had before.
“That doesn’t faze me. It’s something you have to block out. You have to focus on your game and the situation that the team is in. I’m just going to come out and play like I always do for England and give it my best shot.”
Source: ESPN Crickinfo