Moeen Ali has admitted that England will only benefit from the shock retirement of Australia bowler Ryan Harris in the build-up to next week's Ashes opener.
The 35-year-old was forced to call time on his career on Saturday due to a troublesome knee injury.
Ali believes that the loss of Harris, who was Australia's leading wicket-taker on their last tour in 2013, will prove to be a "massive" blow to the tourists' hopes of tasting success in this year's Ashes series.
"He's obviously a quality bowler and he will be missed in world cricket. It will be a massive loss," the England all-rounder told Sky Sports News. "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 first Test gets underway in Cardiff on Wednesday.
Written by
Daniel Lewis
Daniel Lewis
