England left in a spin: who should replace Jack Leach for the Ashes?

Moeen is a vastly experienced veteran of 64 Tests – of all English spinners only Derek Underwood and Graeme Swann have taken more than his 195 wickets – and an excellent batter, but he retired from Test cricket in September 2021 and has not played a first-class game since, explaining that towards the end of his Test career he “found it a struggle to get in the zone” to deal with the format’s unique challenges.

Rashid has not played a first-class game since January 2019, when he made his 19th Test appearance in Barbados, since when he has won two white-ball World Cups. But he spoke to Brendon McCullum last year about the possibility of a return and was encouraged. “I’ve not closed the door on Test cricket. I’ve not retired, or anything like that,” he said. “It’s something that’s still there. It’s everyone’s dream to play Test cricket and I’m no different.”

Dawson has been a regular in England squads of all hues for many years, but has only played three Tests and none since 2017. He has, however, continued to play regular first-class cricket – not since 2011 has he failed to bowl at least 1,000 deliveries in an English red-ball summer – and his combination of experience, knowledge of England’s players and his left-arm action, which makes him a genuine like-for-like replacement for Leach, makes him an appealing choice.

Still just 18 years old, Ahmed is a bowler of immense promise who has been fast-tracked into the international set-up, making debuts in all three formats over the last year, and earlier this year he described being involved in the Ashes as a “dream”. But England may feel the need to prioritise the long term, and conclude that they could come to regret throwing Ahmed into the Ashes when he is still so callow.