Alex Hales, a famous cricket player from England, has said he’s not going to play international cricket anymore. He’s 34 years old. He helped England win the T20 World Cup. His last game for England was in November. They won against Pakistan.
People talked about Hales maybe deciding to play for teams in different places instead of England. Now, he’s decided to stop playing internationally. He wants to play in short matches in other countries.
“It has been an absolute privilege to have represented my country on 156 occasions across all three formats,” Hales mentioned. “I’ve made some memories and some friendships to last a lifetime and I feel that now is the right time to move on”.
“Throughout my time in an England shirt I’ve experienced some of the highest highs as well as some of the lowest lows. It’s been an incredible journey and I feel very content that my last game for England was winning a World Cup final.”
Hales, who last participated in 50-over cricket four years ago, was never a serious contender for this year’s World Cup in India. However, he would have had a chance to defend England’s T20 title in the Caribbean and the United States next year. Nevertheless, Hales’ retirement will create opportunities for emerging players like Will Jacks and Phil Salt.
Hales played a significant role in England’s rise as a dominant force in white-ball cricket. He formed a destructive opening partnership with Jason Roy when Morgan and Trevor Bayliss initiated their white-ball revolution in 2015.
In addition, Hales had a brief stint in the Test arena, playing 11 matches between 2015 and 2016, as England searched for a consistent opening partner for Alastair Cook.
“Throughout the ups and downs I’ve always felt a huge amount of support from my friends, family, and undoubtedly the best fans in world cricket,” Hales added in his statement. “I look forward to continuing to play for Notts and experiencing more franchise cricket around the world.”
Hales concludes his tenure in the England cricket team with a total of 2419 runs in One Day Internationals (ODIs) at an impressive average of 37.79. This includes the remarkable feat of scoring six centuries. Furthermore, he stands among the exclusive group of three individuals who have amassed more than 2000 runs in Twenty20 Internationals (T20Is) for England. Notably, Hales achieved his sole century against Sri Lanka during the 2014 World T20 tournament.