Brendon McCullum, the New Zealand captain credited in some quarters with providing the spark from which England’s Ashes-winning summer ignited, has thrown his support behind Moeen Ali opening alongside Alastair Cook for their upcoming Test series against Pakistan in the United Arab Emirates.
While Cook’s side await further news on the fitness of the uncapped spinner Zafar Ansari – there was no update on the Surrey left-armer’s dislocated thumb on Wednesday although he was named in the England performance programme that follows the tour – the make-up of the XI for the first Test in Abu Dhabi beginning on 13 October will continue to be debated.
Should Alex Hales, the Nottinghamshire right-hander who comes into the squad for the deposed Adam Lyth, be given a run before the tour to South Africa in December that follows? Or should the spin-bowling all-rounder Moeen move up from No8 in the short-term, allowing the leg-spinner Adil Rashid to slot in lower down with four seamers retained?
While McCullum, in London to play in the Help For Heroes charity match at the Kia Oval on Thursday night, claims any plaudits for his own role in the revival of Cook’s team in 2015 are “undue” – his aggressive side’s early-season tour certainly coincided with a new-found freedom from England’s cricketers – he is more than happy to give his opinion.
“I would put Moeen Ali up there for the UAE and move him down for South Africa,” McCullum told the Guardian. “You can’t be too stubborn. It’s like a horse, you can’t take it around the world and expect it to run the same race. You need to be flexible with game-plans and selection. Without doubt I would open the batting with Moeen Ali.”
This assessment is no reflection on Hales – McCullum describes him as an “excellent selection” who could provide the perfect attacking foil to Cook in the long term – and he has words of encouragement for the deposed Lyth too, whose solitary Test century came against New Zealand in May but now finds himself out of the picture.
“I like what they have done there with Hales, it’s definitely worth a crack,” said McCullum. “People claimed [Australia’s] David Warner was an out-and-out limited overs player and he’s turned into a Test cricketer. Does it shut the door on Lyth? No way.
“This game is about success and failure and time out can be the greatest thing you can possibly do. Lyth could be a wonderful player but he is not the finished article yet and this time out will test him. We will see how he reacts in due course.”
While England’s previous Test series against Pakistan in the UAE saw them whitewashed 3-0 by Misbah-ul-Haq’s side in 2012, McCullum believes New Zealand’s own tour there last year – where they won the third Test in Sharjah by an innings for a creditable 1-1 series scoreline – offers some hope. Once again, it comes down to playing uninhibited cricket.
“It is one the toughest places to tour in world cricket,” he said. “We hold that Test win in Sharjah as one of our biggest successes. To beat a strong Pakistan side in those conditions, in my mind, is one of the biggest challenges in the world right now. Some very good teams have gone there and not come away with the spoils.”
“I’ve enjoyed England’s new cut and thrust approach. Even if it is not the finished product it is a shift in the right direction. In the past they have been fearful, regimented and disciplined. It worked on occasion but what we are seeing at the moment is different; they are freeing young players up and if you have the support of people and you back guys through rough days you will come good.”
