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Alex Hales and Moeen Ali in straight shootout to partner Alastair Cook against Pakistan
Both Moeen Ali and Alex Hales will be given the chance to prove themselves as worthy opening partners to captain Alastair Cook in the warm-up matches ahead of the Pakistan Test series in the UAE.
Cook has gone through a litany of opening partnerships since the retirement of Andrew Strauss, with Adam Lyth the latest batsman despatched by England’s selectors after a barren Ashes series for the Yorkshire left-hander.
Speaking after their first training session at ICC Academy since arriving in the UAE, both Cook and coach Trevor Bayliss confirmed that Ali and Hales are in contention for the opening berth in what is likely to be a straight shootout in warm-up matches against Pakistan ‘A’ in Sharjah.
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“I think both of those players will get an opportunity,” said Bayliss on Hales and Moeen’s chances of opening.
“We'll play the first [warm-up] and see what we need to achieve out of that last match. It'll probably be determined on how we play in that first one and who needs an extra hit and who's had enough.
“We'll take it one game at a time but I'm sure especially those two boys will get their opportunity.”
Cook reiterated Bayliss’ stance, saying he hoped for a more settled top order as a result of this tour.
“I think as Trevor has said it's between [Hales] and Moeen, I think that's quite clear,” added Cook. “Whichever side we pick they've got a great opportunity of doing something we haven't done for a while to get a steadier opening partnership.”
Hales was called up to the Pakistan series as Lyth’s replacement on the back of a county season in which he scored 1,021 first-class runs at an average of 51.05 for Nottinghamshire.
Ali, meanwhile, has been touted as a potential option alongside Cook to allow England to keep the core of the side that beat Australia this summer, while playing a second, specialist spinner on the turning tracks of Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Sharjah.
That spinner is likely to be Adil Rashid, Bayliss confirming he would be finally handed a Test debut at the age of 27 in the UAE.
“I think he'll make his debut. I'm only one of two or three selectors so that's my view I think he will play at some stage on this tour,” said the Australian.
“If he goes out and bowls as he did against Australia, he backs himself, bowls aggressively to take wickets, bowls his variations. There's no reason why he can’t be successful.”
Rashid and Ali were England’s highest wicket-takers in the ODI series that brought an end to the Ashes summer and Bayliss’ comments mean it’s highly likely the pair will both feature in the UAE, making Ali the front runner to partner Cook.
