Moeen Ali penalised for using 'drying agent' on bowling hand without notifying umpires

Moeen Ali has been fined 25% of his match fee and handed a demerit point on his return to red-ball cricket after spraying "a drying agent on his bowling hand" on the second day of the first Ashes Test.

Moeen admitted the offence and accepted the sanction proposed by Andy Pycroft, the match referee. "In reaching his decision to sanction the player, the match referee was satisfied that Ali had used the spray only to dry his hands," the ICC said.

"The spray was not used as an artificial substance on the ball and consequently it had not changed the condition of the ball, which would have been in breach of clause 41.3 of the ICC playing conditions - Unfair Play - The Match Ball - Changing its Condition."

Moeen is returning to Test cricket after an absence of nearly two years and bowled 29 overs on the second day, taking 2 for 124. He has not bowled in a red-ball match since September 2021 and ESPNcricinfo understands that he has a small blister on his spinning finger as a result of the increased workload.

During the 89th over of Australia's innings, Moeen was seen spraying a substance from an aerosol can on his bowling hand while fielding on the boundary, before bowling the following over. The ICC said he had defied "the umpires' pre-series instruction about [players] not using anything on their hands without prior approval".

This being a Level 1 breach of the ICC Code of Conduct, one demerit point was added to Moeen's disciplinary record. It is his first demerit point in the last 24 months and he will not be suspended unless he accumulates three further points in the next two years.

The charge had recent precedent. During India's home series against Australia earlier this year, Ravindra Jadeja was penalised under the same article of the ICC's Code of Conduct after applying a soothing cream to the index finger of his bowling hand.