Moeen Ali, the England all-rounder, has claimed that the 'door is open' for him to return to Test cricket under Brendon McCullum, reversing his decision to withdraw from the format last summer.
Moeen Ali, 34, who retired from Test cricket last year after claiming 195 wickets in 64 appearances and accumulating 2914 runs at 28.29 with five hundreds, gave his thoughts to the media after receiving an OBE in the Queen's Birthday Honours for services to cricket.
After taking over as England's new coach a few days ago, Moeen, who is a crucial element of England's white-ball set-up and was part of the triumphant 2019 World Cup squad, revealed McCullum had contacted him regarding a possible red-ball return.
The Guardian report quoted Moeen as adding, "Baz (McCullum) messaged me asking if I was 'in'." "I had the pleasure of playing with him in the Indian Premier League and have always admired his work ethic.
"We spoke, and he stated that if there is a tour in the future, or whenever, would I be available?" 'Call me at the appointed hour,' I said. We'll have to wait and see. "The door is wide open," the Worcestershire player continued.
Following the Ashes catastrophe earlier this year, England has reset the team's foundation and will begin a new era with a series against New Zealand, led by captain Ben Stokes and McCullum.
Moeen expressed interest in seeing how England performs under the new leadership.
"And, while it's disappointing that Chris Silverwood has stepped down as head coach and (Joe) Root has stood down as captain, it's always thrilling when a new chapter begins."