Spotlight on Moeen and Hales

Dubai - England duo in battle for opener's slot ahead of series against Pakistan in UAE

It will be toss-up between Moeen Ali and Alex Hales for the opener's slot to partner captain Alastair Cook when England start their campaign against Pakistan in the UAE with a two-day warm-up match on Monday.
After their first training session at ICC Academy since arriving in the UAE, both Cook and coach Trevor Bayliss confirmed that Moeen and Hales will have to make the most out of the limited opportunities - two two-day practice matches - to make their case for England's next Test opener.
Following Adam Lyth's axing after a disappointing Ashes series, captain Cook is slated to get a seventh new partner since the retirement of Andrew Strauss, with Moeen and Hales vying for the role as England look to improve on their 3-0 defeat in the UAE in 2012.
England will be involved in two practice matches, both against Pakistan A, ahead of the first Test starting on October 13 at the Zayed Cricket Stadium in Abu Dhabi.
England and Pakistan will feature in two more Tests which will be followed by five one-dayers and three T20 encounters. I don't think we've got a definitive answer just yet. We've got a few days of practice and a couple of warm-up games before we select that team," Bayliss said.
"I think both the players will get an opportunity. We'll play the first one and then see what we need to achieve out of that last match. It will probably be determined on how we play in the first one, and who needs an extra hit, who's had enough."
Cook seconded Bayliss' opinion saying the opener's slot remains up for grabs. "It's between Hales and Moeen, that's quite clear. Whichever side we pick, they have a great opportunity of doing something we haven't done for a while - getting a steady opening partnership."
Moeen, however, seems to have the edge in the battle for the opener's slot as his elevation from number eight would ensure England balance the side with an extra spinner, which could play a vital role in spin-friendly pitches in the UAE.
Another spinner Adil Rashid, meanwhile, got a strong backing from Bayliss. "I think he'll make his Test 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. If he goes out and bowls as he did against Australia in the ODIs, there's no reason why he can't be successful."
England cricketers wound up their ODI campaign against Australia just a fortnight ago, and Cook stressed on the importance of acclimatising to the hot conditions in the UAE. "I started with a cold as I left England, and I think that's pretty much gone already. It is warm, something we have to get accustomed to, so the first two training sessions are hard work."
- ramdas@khaleejtimes.com