Dream England return ‘felt like a debut again’ for Hales

KARACHI: England opener Alex Hales said he felt like he was making his debut again ater returning to the side for the first time in three years in Tuesday’s Twenty20 International win over Pakistan.

Hales made 53 from 40 balls and Harry Brook scored an unbeaten 42 as England defeated Pakistan by six wickets in Karachi in the first of the seven T20s.

It was England’s first match in the Asian country for 17 years.

Hales last played for England in 2019, the same year he was withdrawn from their preliminary 50-overs World Cup squad ater the Guardian newspaper reported he was serving a three-week ban for recreational drug use.

“It was a very special feeling to be back on the park for England,” Hales said. “Three years felt like forever. To go out and score 50 on my return in a winning team is the stuff dreams are made of.

“It is a nice feeling. Guys said in the past it was never down to cricket, missing the three years, that was never in doubt.

“But there was always nerves and pressure coming back ater three years having not played. It felt like a debut again, so it was a very special night.” The second T20 will be played on Thursday.

England, who last toured Pakistan in 2005, are playing four matches in Karachi and three in Lahore before returning in December to play three tests in the second leg of the tour.

International teams have largely refused to tour Pakistan since an atack by Islamist militants on the Sri Lankan team bus in Lahore in 2009 killed six policemen and two civilians.

BABAR AZAM’S FORM A CAUSE FOR CONCERN, SAYS JAYAWARDENE: Legendary Sri Lankan bater Mahela Jayawardene feels Babar Azam’s form is a cause for concern as Pakistan prepare for the ICC T20 World Cup in Australia next month, with the former player atributing his below-par scores in the Asia Cup to “pressure”.

Babar managed just 68 runs in six outings in the recently-concluded Asia Cup in the UAE as Pakistan lost in the final to Sri Lanka. It was a rare struggle for one of the most versatile T20I baters in the world today, and the lean patch cost him the No.1 spot in the ICC T20I baters’ rankings.

Babar’s team-mate and opening partner Mohammad Rizwan now holds that top spot with Babar at No.3 behind South Africa’s Aiden Markram.

“The way Babar has been bating the last two years, for him to have a tournament like that is a concern,” Jayawardena told the The ICC Review.