Moeen fined for breaching ICC Code of Conduct

Moeen Ali has been punished by the International Cricket Council for using a "drying agent" on his bowling hand in his Test comeback in the Ashes series opener at Edgbaston.

The ICC announced Sunday morning that Moeen, who sent down 29 overs on day two in his first game back at first-class level in nearly two years, had been fined a quarter of his match fee for the transgression.

The 35-year-old, who is battling a callused spinning finger due to his considerable workload already in this match, sprayed his right hand with a drying agent on the boundary before coming on to bowl the 89th over on Saturday.

The ICC said this defied a pre-series edict from umpires preventing players from using such a substance without their pre-approval.

Officials were satisfied however that Moeen had not used the spray to alter the condition of the ball, which would have carried a much heavier ball-tampering sanction.

Moeen, who was thrown the ball first thing on the morning of day three when the ICC's punishment was announced, accepted the fine and there was no need for a formal hearing.

The off-spinner has so far bowled tidily in his return Test after answering Ben Stokes' request for him to come out of retirement to play in the Ashes.

But the strain of bowling more overs in a day than his entire recent Indian Premier League campaign has already taken a physical toll.

The Dukes ball used in Tests in England has a more pronounced seam than the white Kookaburra Moeen has predominantly played with in limited-overs cricket since announcing his (since-revoked) Test retirement in September 2021.

"I think spinners generally get wear and tear on the fingers, that's part and parcel of a spinner's job," England assistant coach Paul Collingwood said after stumps when asked if Moeen's callused finger would impact his ability to keep bowling in the match.

"They grip the seam and give it a rip and I think all spinners have blisters and callouses on their spinning fingers, so he's no different to anybody else.

"I think you've just to grin and bear it, and crack on and just try and give it a rip as much as he can."

Creams and ointments are common treatments for spinning fingers of bowlers, but the ICC have it made it clear it sees this as being against its code of conduct when done on the field without prior approval from umpires.

India's Ravindra Jadeja copped an identical penalty to Moeen during the first Test against Australia in Nagpur earlier this year when he took a soothing cream from the hand of a teammate to apply to swelling on his index finger on his bowling hand. 

2023 Qantas Ashes Tour of the UK

First Test: Friday June 16-Tuesday June 20, Edgbaston

Second Test: Wednesday June 28-Sunday July 2, Lord’s

Third Test: Thursday July 6-Monday July 10, Headingley

Fourth Test: Wednesday July 19-Sunday July 23, Old Trafford

Fifth Test: Thursday July 27-Monday 31, The Oval

Australia squad: Pat Cummins (c), Scott Boland, Alex Carey (wk), Cameron Green, Marcus Harris, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis (wk), Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Mitch Marsh, Todd Murphy, Michael Neser, Matthew Renshaw, Steve Smith (vc), Mitchell Starc, David Warner

England squad: Ben Stokes (c), James Anderson, Jonathan Bairstow, Stuart Broad, Harry Brook, Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Dan Lawrence, Jack Leach, Ollie Pope, Matthew Potts, Ollie Robinson, Joe Root, Josh Tongue, Chris Woakes, Mark Wood