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Moeen Ali admits Ryan Harris retirement a bonus for Ashes

England's cricketer Moeen Ali  delivers a ball during day four of the second Test cricket match between the West
Image: Moeen Ali could be a key performer for England this summer

Moeen Ali believes the retirement of Australia bowler Ryan Harris is a big boost for England ahead of the Investec Ashes.

The England all-rounder paid tribute to Harris, who announced on Saturday that he is to call it a day because of a knee injury, and revealed the 35-year-old had been identified as a major threat in English conditions.

Asked how much of a loss he would be to the tourists, Moeen told Sky Sports News HQ: "Massive. He's obviously a quality bowler and he will be missed in world cricket.

"He's somebody who would have bowled really well in England, we felt, so it's good for us. But it's a shame that he's had to retire."

The Ashes - Live

The series gets under way in Cardiff on Wednesday with anticipation mounting over a showdown which has produced some thrilling cricket in recent years.

But Moeen, who will provide a spin bowling option as well as batting in the middle order, is trying to take a more measured approach.

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The Guardian's Mike Selvey is sad that Ryan Harris has retired from cricket

He said: "I've tried to stay away from it a little bit, to be honest with you, just put my head down and get my training done. But it's quite natural for the Ashes and the whole nation is very excited."

More from The Ashes 2015

Captain Alastair Cook and his players will complete their preparations in south Wales over the next couple of days before launching their bid for revenge following a humiliating whitewash on their last trip Down Under last year, and for Moeen, the first ball cannot come quickly enough.

Image: Moeen Ali: England will hope his spinning skills can unlock the Australians

He said: "I feel good. I feel like I have trained quite hard lately, so I feel like I'm ready now and hopefully looking forward to Wednesday."

New coach Trevor Bayliss put the players through their paces in a damp Sunday afternoon in Cardiff following last week's get-together in Spain.

The first Investec Ashes Test is live from Cardiff on our dedicated Sky Sports Ashes channel from 10.00am on Wednesday July 8.

Plus, make sure you download the Ashes Event Centre - our second screen experience which allows you to watch live coverage on your iPad and features an integrated timeline of session-by-session highlights with up to 17 different camera angles, in-running match stats and interactive Hawkeye analysis.

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