Nasser Hussain sends stern warning to England amid ongoing 1st Ashes Test against Australia

Former England skipper Nasser Hussian recently spoke about the form of Moeen Ali in the ongoing first Test match of Ashes 2023 at the Edgbaston Stadium in Birmingham. Notably, the 36-year-old came out of retirement in the longest format for the ongoing series after a discussion with the skipper Ben Stokes and the coach Brendon McCullum.

However, the 36-year-old had a blister on his index finger as he struggled to bowl for England in his comeback Test on Day 3. Along with Michael Atherton, Nasser Hussain reflected on Moeen’s performance in the ongoing Test. He said that the off-spinner has been struggling in bowling as he hasn’t played red-ball cricket for a long time.

“[Applying the spray] shows Moeen has got real issues with that spinning finger because he hasn’t been playing red-ball cricket. He is going to have a lot of bowling to do in this Test match and potentially the series,” Atherton said as quoted in Hindustan Times.

“It is the whole debate about the difference between white-ball and Test cricket. Jonny Bairstow has not kept that much and we saw the sloppiness that happens after a day in the field. Moeen hasn’t bowled with a red Dukes ball for a long, long time,” Hussain added.

Moeen Ali got fine for using drying agent to his hand

Notably, Moeen Ali also got fined by the Apex Cricket Council for applying a drying agent to his bowling hand on Day 2 of the Test Match. However, Moeen accepted the offence and the sanction proposed by Andy Pycroft of the Emirates of Elite Panel of Match Referees of Cricket Governing Body. There was also no formal hearing as the cricketer already accepted the offence.

The match referee was also convinced that the drying agent was only applied on the finger and not and not as an artificial substance to the ball. If he would have done that, it would have been in breach of clause 41.3 of the playing condition by the Apex Council. – Unfair Play – The Match Ball – Changing its Condition. The on-field umpire including Ahsan Raza and Marais Erasmus, third umpire Chris Gaffaney and fourth umpire Mike Burns levelled the charge.