Moeen Ali included in England training group for West Indies Tests

Eight uncapped players in a 30-man squad for three-match series

England's Moeen Ali had taken a break from Test cricket. PA

England all-rounder Moeen Ali was included in a 30-member group that will begin training at the Ageas Bowl from June 23 ahead of their first Test against the West Indies on July 8, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) said on Wednesday.

Moeen, 32, had announced a break from Test cricket in September last year after losing out on a central contract for the longest format for the 2019-20 season.

The ECB invited a total of 55 players back to training at 11 different venues in recent weeks, with selectors refining that down to a long-list who will be in contention for the red-ball team.

The group will convene at the Ageas Bowl on June 23 and remain on site as they work towards an intra-squad match on July 1-3. That will provide a final chance to earn selection for the Test squad to face the Windies.

Of those included Essex batsman Dan Lawrence, Gloucestershire wicketkeeper-batsman James Bracey, Sussex seamer Ollie Robinson, Somerset quick Jamie Overton and Surrey spinner Amar Virdi have yet to represent their country at all, while Saqib Mahmood, Lewis Gregory and Matt Parkinson have appeared in limited-overs cricket.

All of England's established Test players are present and correct, including Rory Burns, Jofra Archer, James Anderson and Mark Wood, who have been recovering from a variety of injury problems.

With such a large group to manage, head coach Chris Silverwood and assistant Graham Thorpe have been handed a reinforced backroom team using head coaches from the county network.

Lancashire's Glen Chapple will help mentor the pace bowlers, Gloucestershire's Richard Dawson will look after spin duties and Matthew Walker of Kent has been asked to join Thorpe in overseeing batsmen. In addition former Test wicketkeeper Chris Read has been appointed as wicketkeeping consultant, while ECB fielding coach Carl Hopkinson completes the team.

"Everyone involved with England is delighted that cricket is returning soon, and that the players are reporting for group training in preparation for the Test series against the West Indies," England national selector Ed Smith was quoted as saying by the Press Association.

"We'd also like to thank all the county coaches who have supported these players over the past few weeks.

"A squad for the first Test will be announced in due course."

The three-match series against the West Indies, behind closed doors, starts in Southampton on July 8, with the second and third Tests taking place at Old Trafford.