Versatile Moeen enjoys return to the top

Few players in the world currently undertake the variety of roles handed to Moeen Ali. In the recent Ashes he was bolstering England's lower order at No. 8 then in the T20 against Australia he strode in at No. 3 to stroke a career-best unbeaten 72 from 46 balls to help set-up victory.

Meanwhile, there is debate about whether he will open in the forthcoming one-day series then in the Tests against Pakistan in the UAE. Versatile is an understatement.

As with most of his international career, which is still only 18 months old, he has taken it all in his stride, whether his job is to marshal the tail - something he did with significant success in the Ashes - chip out useful wickets with his offspin, go for broke in a T20 or to face the new ball at the top of a one-day innings which was his job at the World Cup earlier this year.

Naturally, Moeen has said whatever task is handed to him he is happy to take - "I can bat from one to 11, really," he said after the T20 - but there is no doubt his preference remains for being as high in the batting line-up as possible.

Worcestershire have indicated they would accommodate him as an opener if England requested it ahead of the UAE tour. But it is still to be confirmed where he will slot back into the one-day side having missed the series against New Zealand when he was given red-ball cricket with Worcestershire ahead of the Ashes.

"I love opening the batting but wherever the team wants me to bat, I will bat, and if that's three then so be it," Moeen said. "I have done it before so it is not a problem. Opening the batting is obviously a little bit different."

"I think with the fielding restrictions it doesn't really matter now but most of the time I enjoy the newer, harder ball because I don't have to hit it as hard. I find it better if I open the batting but I am happy at three, four, five or wherever."

There are a couple of ways Moeen can return to the 50-over side. He could, as was the case in the T20, be a straight swap for the rested Joe Root at No. 3 or he could partner Alex Hales as an opener at the expense of Jason Roy who did not deliver a major innings against New Zealand.

Moeen has opened in 20 of his 22 ODIs and scored two hundreds: 119 against Sri Lanka in Colombo - with his hundred coming off 72 balls, at the time England's third fastest in ODIs - and 128 against Scotland in Christchurch during the World Cup. Moeen, though, remained modest about his capabilities.

"The guys who are opening at the moment are very exciting players and hopefully if they both get in I am sure you will see more runs than if I was batting there," he said.

Moeen's impressive performance in the T20, and the fact he provides another bowling option for Eoin Morgan, means that James Taylor could again be struggling to make the line-up against Australia at least at the start of the series.

Taylor lost his place for the New Zealand series, having captained the side in the one-off match against Ireland in Dublin, having had a run at No. 3 during the triangular series in Australia and the World Cup where he made three half-centuries, including 98 against Australia at the MCG when he was controversially left stranded two runs short of his hundred.

Taylor has enjoyed a strong Royal London Cup campaign with 401 runs at 66.83. His way back into the starting XI could be if Moeen opens and he returns at No. 3.