After the retirements of Graeme Swann and Monty Panesar, England’s cupboard had never been so empty of quality spinners. But Moeen Ali, a batsman who bowled a bit of off-spin, stepped into the breach and tidied England over for a decade with 204 Test wickets.
This cupboard now seems emptier still, to the point where England will have to plan on selecting no specialist spinner at all at home this summer against India and in Australia this winter.
There is always Jack Leach, steadiness personified, but he was taken down in Australia last time, and while the accuracy remains – he has been doing another tidy job for Somerset against Surrey at the Oval – the flight and guile have yet to blossom.