England's plans for the upcoming Ashes series were left in disarray after left-arm spinner Jack Leach was ruled out of the five-match series due to a stress fracture in his back.
Leach was the only front-line spinner named in England's squad for the first two Tests, having emerged as a crucial cog in the team's red-ball team that enjoyed unprecedented success over the past year.
But Leach's injury has put a spanner in the works. With the dearth of top-quality red-ball spinners in the country, Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum have limited options when it comes to choosing slow bowlers.
They can go one of three ways – select non-established names, bring back players not in the Test fold any more, or go ahead without a front-line spinner and bowl a part-timer instead.
There is a school of thought that if England are unwilling to try out fresh names in the Ashes, they could go with Joe Root as a spin option and play an all-seam attack.
Even so, there will most likely be a spinner in the squad. Here we take a look at five spin bowlers who could replace Leach.
Rehan Ahmed
The teenage leg spinner is a wild-card entry. He made his debut in Karachi against Pakistan late last year and picked up seven wickets in a hugely impressive win. His leg-spinners and googlies are as good as any in the country, but his lack of experience means England might not get the control they were guaranteed from Leach.
Will Jacks
Off-spinner who offers control, plus can bat. Picked up six wickets on debut against Pakistan, but his off spin has not developed to Test level yet. England might be wary of picking him in the XI, especially since Root offers so much with the bat while being capable of holding his own as an off spinner.
Liam Dawson
A like-for-like replacement for Leach, the left-arm spinner has vast experience of first-class cricket and is more than capable of holding one end up with the ball. Has played Test cricket before, albeit only three times, so should not be too daunted by the prospect of an Ashes series. At 33, is at the perfect age where spinners know their game inside out.
Moeen Ali
The all-rounder has given up on red-ball cricket but there is always the temptation to bring him back into the fold, especially for emergencies like this. There is no doubt about his batting abilities, while he has also won Test matches on English wickets with his bowling – just ask India. It might take some hard negotiations, but well worth it.
Dom Bess
The all-rounder has played 14 Tests, and is a decent off spinner and batsman. His batting abilities could be used lower down the order, but questions remain if his bowling can stand up to scrutiny.
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Red flags
- Promises of high, fixed or 'guaranteed' returns.
- Unregulated structured products or complex investments often used to bypass traditional safeguards.
- Lack of clear information, vague language, no access to audited financials.
- Overseas companies targeting investors in other jurisdictions - this can make legal recovery difficult.
- Hard-selling tactics - creating urgency, offering 'exclusive' deals.
Courtesy: Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching
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The five pillars of Islam
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The five pillars of Islam
Essentials
The flights
Etihad and Emirates fly direct from the UAE to Delhi from about Dh950 return including taxes.
The hotels
Double rooms at Tijara Fort-Palace cost from 6,670 rupees (Dh377), including breakfast.
Doubles at Fort Bishangarh cost from 29,030 rupees (Dh1,641), including breakfast. Doubles at Narendra Bhawan cost from 15,360 rupees (Dh869). Doubles at Chanoud Garh cost from 19,840 rupees (Dh1,122), full board. Doubles at Fort Begu cost from 10,000 rupees (Dh565), including breakfast.
The tours
Amar Grover travelled with Wild Frontiers. A tailor-made, nine-day itinerary via New Delhi, with one night in Tijara and two nights in each of the remaining properties, including car/driver, costs from £1,445 (Dh6,968) per person.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
BMW M5 specs
Engine: 4.4-litre twin-turbo V-8 petrol enging with additional electric motor
Power: 727hp
Torque: 1,000Nm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 10.6L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh650,000
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
