Moeen Ali's recent performances form divided opinions over his selection

Moeen, who currently occupies the 10th position in the MRF Tyres ICC Test Rankings for all-rounders, hasn't been able to produce performances that would live up to his reputation in recent times. The 32-year old averages 64.65 with the ball against Ashes rivals Australia, contrary to his overall career average of 36.60. In the first Ashes Test played at Edgbaston, Ali managed to pick three wickets in 42 overs and registered scores of 0 and 4, falling to off-spinner Nathan Lyon on both occasions.

Hussain reckons that Ali's performances with the bat might be affecting his bowling. “The thing they've got to decide on is Moeen. He's been a fabulous bowler for England over the last two or three years if you look at his stats and how he's done,” Hussain wrote in his column for Sky Sports.

“They just have to decide where he is confidence-wise; is he shot mentally? Is the lack of runs with Lyon being all over him, as he was in Australia, affecting his bowling? Is it slight technical things that he is working on with Saqlain Mushtaq (England's spin bowling coach)? Where is he mentally? Because this game is played in the mind.”

The former England captain further added that Jack Leach could be a good option to counter Steve Smith, with his left-arm spin in the second Test beginning 14 August at Lord's. Leach had also scored 92 in England's recent Test win over Ireland at the venue.

“There are the stats showing Smith is slightly worse against left-arm spin, they might want to try a bit of that and Jack Leach is waiting."

Moeen's impact wasn't felt in the last Ashes series either, as he could manage just 179 runs with the bat and bagged mere five wickets, during his 2017-18 tour to Australia. Ian Chappell, the former Australia captain reckons that the all-rounders returns at Edgbaston doesn't suffice for his inclusion at Lord's.

"If you're being serious as a selector you can't keep Moeen Ali in the side," Chappell told Wide World of Sports."I'm not just dropping him because of his form at Edgbaston, I saw what he did out here in Australia two years ago and how the Australians were so on top of him mentally.

"It may have been fair enough to give him one opportunity at Edgbaston, but he showed me exactly the same as what he showed me in Australia, and you just can't keep going with him."

However, Callum Ferguson, the Australian batsman seems to back Moeen, his Worcestershire teammate, who he believes could be England's X-factor in the series.

"That would have been a really tough one for him," Ferguson said of Moeen's performance in Birmingham. "Obviously with Nathan (Lyon) taking the wickets that he did, and bowling as well as he did on the last day, I just wonder if maybe he (Moeen) has lost a bit of confidence.

"He probably hasn't made as many runs as he would have liked recently. But as a mate of his and as a teammate of his, I still believe that he's got the ability to be the x-factor for England in this series."