England head coach Chris Silverwood has on Wednesday (February 17) apologized for the confusion over Moeen Ali's departure from the ongoing tour of India midway, while reiterating that the decision to send him back after the first two Tests as part of their rotation policy.
The 33-year-old has been living in a bio-secure bubble since England’s Test tour of Sri Lanka, where he tested positive for COVID-19 on arrival and missed the two-match Test series, which Joe Root and his team won 2-0, due to the lengthy quarantine period.
Then, the all-rounder traveled to India with the England Test squad, however, he wasn’t picked for the first Test but got to play in the second Test against India – his first Test match since August 2019 – and the all-rounder was impressive with both and ball, scalping 8 wickets and returning as England's top scorer in the second innings with 43 runs, as the tourists suffered a 317-run defeat in Chennai on February 16.
Following the massive defeat, Root said Ali chose to go home and see his family, and the decision was questioned by many, but head coach Silverwood said the all-rounder did not leave the tour abruptly.
The head coach further clarified that Moeen’s return to home after the first two Tests against Team India was already planned in order to escape life in the bubble as part of England's rotation policy to manage the workload of their multi-format players this year strictly, keeping in mind the busy schedule and the forthcoming two mega-events – ICC T20 World Cup 2021 in India and then Ashes 2021.
Silverwood told reporters: “We are sorry if the impression we gave was that Moeen is being treated differently to other people. He isn't, I can guarantee you that. The decision for him to go home was ours, as it was with Jos Buttler, Sam Curran, Jonny Bairstow, and Mark Wood [who have also been rested for parts of the India series]. We're happy to own that decision.”
He continued, “It was a unique situation with Moeen - he had spent so long in isolation and had just broken back into the team. The question was posed to him [about staying] but ultimately we thought it was the right decision for him to go. Mo understands we have got his best interests at heart and we are trying to look after him, just like we do with all the other players.
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It is a strange existence we have at the moment and we need to get on with it. Being locked in a bubble for long periods of time is difficult, especially for people that have got families at home. We have to be very respectful that people need time out of this bubble to see their families and, equally, that families need to see the players as well. People do need time to freshen their mind up so that when they are here, they are 100 percent here and in a great place to perform.”
The left-hander will rejoin the England team in India before the five-match T20I series next month and Silverwood revealed that the spinner is part of their plans for the Ashes this year.
He signed off, “The planning and building for the Ashes started a long time ago and we're continuing to build that group of players. At any given point, anybody can play. Moeen is a very big part of that.”
(With Reuters Inputs)
