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.
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England leg-spinner Rehan Ahmed celebrates after taking the wicket of Pakistan batter Mohammad Rizwan on Day 3 of the Third Test at Karachi National Stadium on December 19, 2022. Getty -
England captain Ben Stokes congratulates Rehan Ahmed after he took the wicket of Pakistan's Babar Azam for 54. AFP -
England wicketkeeper Ben Foakes celebrates catching Mohammad Rizwan of Pakistan, off the bowling of Rehan Ahmed, for seven. Getty -
England's Rehan Ahmed finished with 5-48. Reuters -
Rehan Ahmed of England celebrates after taking the wicket of Mohammad Rizwan of Pakistan. Getty -
Pakistan's Babar Azam after scoring his half century. AFP -
Babar Azam of Pakistan drives. Getty -
Pakistan's Saud Shakeel plays a shot. AFP -
Pakistan's Saud Shakeel ducks under a short ball. AP -
Pakistan's Saud Shakeel celebrates his half century. AFP -
Pakistan's Azhar Ali walks back to the pavilion after his dismissal by England's Jack Leach. AFP -
England's Jack Leach, left, celebrates with teammate Ben Stokes after taking the wicket of Pakistan's Abdullah Shafique. AP -
England's Jack Leach bowls. AFP -
England's Ben Duckett bats on his way to a half-century. AP -
England's Zak Crawley sweeps. AP -
Pakistan's Abrar Ahmed celebrates after taking wicket of England's Zak Crawley. AFP -
England's Zak Crawley after his dismissal by Pakistan's Abrar Ahmed. AFP -
England's Ben Stokes and Ben Duckett walk off the field at the end of the third day. AP -
Pakistan's Azhar Ali, left, playing his last Test before his retirement is applauded by teammates as he walks off the field at the end of the third day. AP
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.
