England recall Hales for T20 World Cup

London: Alex Hales’ lengthy ban from international competition has ended as he was called up to the England team for the T20 World Cup in Australia, taking Jonny Bairstow’s spot due to injury.

After failing two drug tests for recreational use, the 33-year-old batsman from Nottinghamshire was dropped on the eve of the 2019 World Cup, and he hasn’t played for his nation in three and a half years.

According to England and Wales Cricket Board regulation, his formal punishment lasted just 21 days, but he was left out in the cold after what white-ball captain Eoin Morgan, at the time, called a “complete breakdown in trust.”

 

Now that Morgan has retired, Bairstow is out with a “freak” leg injury, and fellow opener Jason Roy was dismissed because of form, a confluence of events has given Hales a new opportunity.

Hales, who recently became the first Englishman to score 10,000 runs in the Twenty20 format, is also familiar with the tournament fields thanks to his valuable experience in Australia’s Big Bash League.

With a strike rate of more than 136 per 100 balls, the hard-hitting batsman has amassed 1,644 runs at an average of 31 in 60 T20 internationals.

Hales is also available for the next Pakistani trip.

In a brief team update made public on Wednesday, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) confirmed the player’s recall.

Regarding Hales’s comeback to the national team, Test captain Ben Stokes said, “At the end of the day, everyone’s goal is to win that World Cup for England,” before the third Test match against South Africa.

“Winning the World Cup is my objective, Alex’s goal, and every member of that squad’s goal.

“After what happened with Jonny, we had to call up another player, and Alex is undoubtedly one of the best T20 players in the world. In the T20 format, bowlers don’t want to bowl against Alex.”

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