“Star Batsman Alex Hales, Hero of England’s 2022 T20 World Cup Campaign, Announces Retirement from International Cricket”
After winning the T20 World Cup, renowned English opening batsman Alex Hales announced his retirement from international cricket. After the 2015 World Cup, Eoin Morgan transformed England’s white ball cricket team, and the 34-year-old was a key player in that metamorphosis. Hales’ crucial contribution was essential to England’s successful 2022 T20 World Cup campaign.
Alex Hales wrote in a tearful Instagram post, “I have decided to retire from international cricket, and it has been an incredible joy to wear the England jersey. “Now feels like the ideal time to start a new chapter in my life. The connections and memories made while I was a member of the team will live on forever.
“My time with the England team has been an up-and-down one, filled with both successes and difficulties. I am incredibly appreciative of this amazing opportunity, and I am happy that my final game for England resulted in England winning the World Cup.
In addition to appearing in 11 Test matches, 70 ODIs, and 75 T20Is, Alex Hales made his England debut in a T20 encounter against India in August 2011. His journey was not without difficulty, though, as a failed recreational drug test resulted in his expulsion from the 2019 ODI World Cup squad and a nearly three-year absence from international cricket. He made the decision to put his commitment to the Pakistan Super League first throughout his most recent career, which further cemented his decision to stop playing for his nation in international competitions.
Alex Hales, along with players like Jos Buttler, Jason Roy, Eoin Morgan, Ben Stokes, and Jonny Bairstow, contributed significantly to England’s aggressive strategy for limited-overs cricket despite his inability to establish himself as a long-format player. This gutsy batting approach played a part in England’s historic World Cup victory. Hales didn’t get to see that historic event, though, because Morgan barred him from the squad after learning of his failed drug test for recreational use through the media, citing a breach of trust.
Hales scored 2419 runs in 70 ODIs, averaging 37.79 and hitting 95.72 percent of his targets. He also amassed 2074 runs in 75 T20 Internationals while maintaining a commanding strike rate of 138.35 and an average of 30.95. Hales had not been considered for the upcoming World Cup since his last ODI game in March 2019.
Despite the ups and downs, Hales will always be remembered as a major element of England’s swashbuckling batting lineup in limited-overs cricket. His return to international cricket only came after Eoin Morgan’s retirement.
For a commendable two years, Alex Hales held the record for the highest ODI score by an England hitter. Against Pakistan in August 2016, his remarkable performance of 171 runs in just 122 balls helped England to a record-breaking score of 444/3. Jason Roy, who was his opening partner at the time, broke this record against Australia in January 2018 by scoring an incredible 180 runs in just 151 balls.
For a commendable two years, Alex Hales held the record for the highest ODI score by an England hitter. Against Pakistan in August 2016, his remarkable performance of 171 runs in just 122 balls helped England to a record-breaking score of 444/3. Jason Roy, who was his opening partner at the time, broke this record against Australia in January 2018 by scoring an incredible 180 runs in just 151 balls.
His performance against India in the semi-final, where he scored 86 runs off just 47 balls, was the high point of his comeback. Hales and Captain Jos Buttler combined for an unbroken 170-run partnership that more than doubled India’s original 169-run mark. Hales referred to it as “one of the best days of my career,” and his outstanding effort helped England advance to the T20 World Cup final with a commanding 10-wicket victory.
After Andrew Strauss retired, England explored a number of alternatives before settling on Hales as Alastair Cook’s opening partner. Between 2015 and 2016, he took part in 11 Tests, recording five half centuries and a 27.28 average. Before England’s 2016–17 winter tours, he was benched. In September 2017, Hales played his final County match before giving up red-ball cricket.
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