This really does seem like a bit of a wild punt on England's part. Baz and Ben have got a lot right so far ; so I guess they are entitled to try something a bit unconventional - but is there much reason to believe this one could be a winner ?
Points in favour :
1/ Moeen has a lot of experience ; and a solid enough overall record as a spin bowler.
2/ He is an off spinner who might theoretically match up well with the Aussie left handers.
3/ He can bat - or at least he used to be able to. Record at seven/eight suggests he might strengthen an otherwise fragile England tail.
4/ His style suits the current "fix bayonets , charge " team philosophy.
Points against :
1/ Long time since he bowled with a red ball. And in these last two years of short format cricket only , he has bowled more than 4 overs in a day on just eight occasions.
2/ Record against Australia is frankly awful. 11 Tests (6 home 5 away) . In the very first of these , Cardiff 2015 , he did well : 5 wickets for 130 in the match - and 77 runs in the first innings. But subsequently
: 15 wickets in ten games. At huge cost and poor economy rate. And just one more score over 40.
3/ All those Test centuries are a long way in the past .2017 to be precise. And just one ODI fifty in the same time frame...
4/ He is clearly attracted by the idea of playing with freedom under Stokes. But how will he cope with the pressure if the Aussies successfully "target" him - as they will certainly try to do - at the first meeting ? He has previously lost confidence fast when mauled - especially by this opponent.
Look it may possibly come off. We won't know until the action starts. But looking at the above , it seems to me that the odds aren't all that good.
Maybe he is , as DFM suggests , the "least worst" option - which doesn't say much for the state of English spin bowling ! But I'd have thought it would have been better to try one or other of the players who have actually been in red ball action for their counties - and be ready to swap around as needed. Rather than settling what appears (from the whole "please come back" business) to be a locked in deal for at least the first two Tests ?
Really hope he justifies the call up. But I am struggling to bring my normal optimism to the fore with this call...