'It’s not like you’re bringing Michael Jordan out of retirement' - Mark Butcher's scathing remark on Moeen Ali's Test recall

Ben Stokes' England have recalled senior all-rounder Moeen Ali to the Test squad for the upcoming Ashes series. However, former England cricketer Mark Butcher has called out the decision to bring back the all-rounder out of retirement despite other viable options available to the selectors.

Jack Leach's unfortunate injury saw England make a remarkable decision to bring back Moeen Ali out of retirement for the blockbuster Ashes series. But former England cricketer Mark Butcher could not understand the logic behind the decision as the veteran all-rounder has not played any red-ball cricket for two years. Butcher also felt that Moeen's underwhelming record in Test cricket did not warrant a recall to the national side. 

“I’m slightly baffled by the whole thing. There’s a lot of hoping going on… Jack Leach, is a holding bowler for Ben Stokes right? Moeen Ali has never been a holding bowler in his entire career and has not played any red-ball cricket for two years. His Ashes record is pretty bad with bat and with the ball, and he has had no interest in playing long-form cricket ever since his retirement.

It’s not like you’re bringing Michael Jordan out of retirement, is it? You’re not bringing somebody back who had a Botham’s Ashes in ’81, you’re bringing back someone who’s kind of done okay at times, and those times were a very long time ago,” Butcher said speaking on the Wisden Cricket Weekly podcast.

What’s the point of anybody if all you do is overlook every single one: Butcher

Although Butcher criticised the decision to bring back Moeen Ali to the red-ball setup, he hopes that it turns out well for England. He further raised question marks on the decision, highlighting the spinners, who are doing well in first-class cricket. He even hinted at the omission of the young Rehan Ahmed, who impressed on the tour of Pakistan last year.

"I hope it goes well, I honestly do. I hope it’s brilliant and that I eat every single one of those words. I’m just saying it’s a massive risk, huge. What is the point of having guys playing first-class cricket? What’s the point of giving guys debuts in subcontinental conditions? What’s the point of anybody if all you do is overlook every single one of them and pick someone who doesn’t really want to play the format?” he stated further.