Moeen, Finn to sit out first Ashes warm-up

Fast bowler Steven Finn and allrounder Moeen Ali will miss England’s first tour game in Australia, starting on Saturday in Perth, due to injury.

Finn is struggling with a knee injury while Moeen has a side strain with the latter being rested more as a precaution.

The 28-year-old Finn, who has played 36 Tests, injured his knee while batting and will take no part in the two-day game against a Western Australia XI at the WACA.

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England captain Joe Root says it is a good opportunity for players to lay down a marker for the rest of the tour as they prepare for the first Ashes Test which starts in Brisbane on 23 November.

Root said: “It’s a great opportunity for guys to stand up and stake their claim and it’s really important those lads have that mental approach going into these fixtures.

“When they get the chance they have got to try and impress. You have got to be able to perform under that pressure if you want to perform in Ashes cricket.

“We are going to have to play well as a side and perform as a group and there can’t be a selfish mentality out in the middle.

“It’s going to have to be about doing your job within the team, not worrying about individual performances and make sure collectively that if someone has had a bad day, someone else steps up.”

England will play another two four-day warm-up matches against a Cricket Australia XI before the first Test at the GABBA.

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