Moeen confronts off- spinner’s curse

England's Moeen Ali has welcomed Australia's plan to attack his bowling during the Ashes as he seeks to avoid the curse of the touring off-spinner down under.

A damaging left-handed batsman, Moeen is also England's number one spin option on this tour and he will head into his maiden Test series in Australia having taken 30 wickets at 21 in the northern summer and 12 handy dismissals in his side's 2015 Ashes triumph.

But his record abroad (46 wickets at 44 compared to 82 at 33 in England) and a star-studded list of legendary off-spinners who have had their reputations tarnished by failed trips to Australia has the hosts bullish that they can get the better of England's allrounder and prise open the battle for the urn.

"Yeah, definitely," Peter Handscomb said this week when asked if attacking Moeen had been discussed by Australia's batsmen.

"In Australia, it can be tough to bowl spin. Moeen can definitely be one we can go after a little bit to put pressure on their quicks to come back early and bowl longer spells.

"We also know Moeen is a very good player and very smart because he can bat as well. He understands what batters are thinking.

"We’ve got to be calculated and careful, but we’ll try and get him if we can."

Right-arm finger spinners have enjoyed success down under before, notably West Indian great Lance Gibbs (59 wickets at 33 in the 1960s and 1970s), but Australia has been a graveyard for touring offies since the early 1990s.

Only two visiting off-break bowlers in the past 25 years have taken more than five wickets in Australia at a cost of less than 35 runs apiece; Pakistani tweaker and England's current spin coach Saqlain Mushtaq (14 wickets at 34.14) and former England spinner Peter Such (11 wickets at 29.36).

In that time, the greatest modern off-spinners have floundered; Englishman Graeme Swann (22 wickets at 53), India's Ravichandran Ashwin (21 wickets at 55), Australia's long-time nemesis Harbhajan Singh (nine wickets at 73) and the game's most successful ever bowler, Sri Lankan Muthiah Muralidaran (12 wickets at 75), have all been hammered on the bouncier Australian surfaces.

And of Australian off-spinners since the end of the Second World War to have taken 25 or more wickets at home, only Queenslander Nathan Hauritz has done so at a lower average than his overall career mark.

But with Saqlain in his corner, the softly-spoken Moeen is hopeful he can buck the trend.

"Most teams actually come after me and try to attack me," he said.

"I don't mind that sometimes.

"You've always got a chance of getting wickets. You might go for a few more runs, but I feel you'll always have a chance of getting wickets.

"You do get good bounce here and I feel putting revs on the ball is going to be very important here.

"Hopefully I can start well and can get on a bit of a run, not think too much about it and try and hit my areas."

Modern-day off-break bowlers may have struggled in Australia in recent decades, but Moeen will look to England's off-spinners of the 1960s, 70s and 80s – Fred Titmus (37 wickets at 40), Geoff Miller (36 at 22) and John Emburey (35 at 32) – as proof that foreign tweakers can have success down under.

And his Australian counterpart Nathan Lyon, with 118 wickets at 35 on home soil, could provide the template for the 30-year-old to follow.

But it's the cautionary tale of Swann four years ago that has given the Aussies confidence they can expose England by once again targeting their spinner. Swann retired partway through the 2013-14 Ashes whitewash having taken just seven of his 255 wickets in the first three Tests of that series, at a cost of almost four runs an over.

Lyon remarked this week that the Aussies are hoping to "end more careers" in the series, triggering a fiery response from some of England's former players, but Handscomb is looking to land a far more meaningful blow when the talking makes way for action on Thursday.

Handscomb is renowned as one of Australia's best players of spin and it will likely fall to him and his fleet-footed skipper Steve Smith to put Moeen under pressure.

"I will try and use my feet and do what I normally do with spin," the Victorian said.

"It doesn’t necessarily mean I’ll try and hit him over the top. I struggle to hit sixes at big grounds. If I can chip it that will be alright.

"If we can work him around and milk him a little bit, it will be ideal."

2017-18 International Fixtures:

Magellan Ashes Series

First Test Gabba, November 23-27. Buy tickets

Second Test Adelaide Oval, December 2-6 (Day-Night). Buy tickets

Third Test WACA Ground, December 14-18. Buy tickets

Fourth Test MCG, December 26-30. Buy tickets

Fifth Test SCG, January 4-8 (Pink Test). Buy tickets

Gillette ODI Series v England

First ODI MCG, January 14. Buy tickets

Second ODI Gabba, January 19. Buy tickets

Third ODI SCG, January 21. Buy tickets

Fourth ODI Adelaide Oval, January 26. Buy tickets

Fifth ODI Perth TBC, January 28. Join the ACF

Prime Minister's XI

PM's XI v England Manuka Oval, February 2. Buy tickets

Gillette T20 INTL Series

First T20I Australia v NZ, SCG, February 3. Buy tickets

Second T20I – Australia v England, Blundstone Arena, February 7. Buy tickets

Third T20I – Australia v England, MCG, February 10. Buy tickets

Fourth T20I – NZ v England, Wellington, February 13

Fifth T20I – NZ v Australia, Eden Park, February 16

Sixth T20I – NZ v England, Seddon Park, February 18

Final – TBC, Eden Park, February 21