MOEEN ALI is considering ending his Test retirement and says he “would love” to play under Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum.
The Worcestershire man has been starring in short-form versions of the game, notably in the Indian Premier League for the Chennai Super Kings.
"If Baz McCullum wants me, I'll definitely play in Pakistan."
Moeen Ali says he would come out of Test retirement to play in England's tour of Pakistan.
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All of Ali’s England appearances since September have been in shorter formats of the game
He broke into the national-team setup in 2014, travelling to the Twenty20 World Cup in Bangladesh.
Moeen also has three Ashes series’ under his belt, being on the winning team in 2015.
All-rounder Moeen quit Test cricket last September after 64 caps but admits new head coach McCullum has a persuasive voice.
Moeen, 34, revealed to BBC Test Match Special, where he has been working as a guest summariser: “Brendon got the job and messaged me the day after during the IPL and said, ‘Are you in?’
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“We spoke and he asked if I was keen to play. He’s a very difficult person to say ‘no’ to and I found that very hard. He’s very convincing.
“To be honest, I’d love to play under him and Stokesy. Both have that character about them. They’re very aggressive. I think I’d suit their cricket and I think they feel I’d suit them as well.
“I’m a big one for never say never. We’ll see what happens. I said to Brendon the door is not always closed if your country needs you. So, yeah, I’m keen.”
Moeen, awarded the OBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours last week, would be a strong contender for selection for the three-Test tour of Pakistan at the end of this year.
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The strength of spin bowling in the sub-continent would hint at a return, especially with England still on the hunt for a top-class spin bowler.
However, Moeen’s strength with the bat could see him become a key part of the top order, which other than Joe Root has failed to establish itself as guaranteed starters.
