He deserved a 12-month ban, not just 21 days

NO ONE comes out of this episode in a great light, to be honest, and it stems from the fact the ECB should have owned the story as soon as they became aware that Alex Hales had failed a second drugs test. Over time, these things always come out. Yet instead of reacting with a public statement, the ECB’s silence was deafening, leading to an unnecessary debate about who knew and who didn’t within the organisation. One of the reasons we find ourselves assessing the treatment of Hales now, a month shy of the World Cup, is that the punishment is far too lenient. Yes, give anyone one chance — and we have to remember dressing rooms mirror modern society, and there’s a Hales in nearly every walk of life — but to have a 21-day suspension for failing another test is simply not enough. For me, two strikes should mean you are banned for a year. And if you’re mad enough to commit a third offence — as was the case with Durham’s Jack Burnham last year — then you’re putting your whole career in jeopardy. The leniency has left the ECB in a ridiculous situation where we find a repeat offender — who has already got a suspended

fine hanging over him for his involvement in the Bristol fracas with Ben Stokes — in the spotlight again. Remember, he was on his final warning from England coach Trevor Bayliss. You could understand why the captain Eoin Morgan and the selectors would say: ‘Enough is enough. This lad is proving to be too much of a distraction. Yes, we have a duty of care to him, but we also have a duty of care to everyone else in this World Cup squad.’ This is England’s chance, what they have worked for over four years, and the selectors had to do what’s best for the team. At some stage Hales has to look at himself. He is 30, not a kid out of school. He continues to make bad mistakes and has paid the heaviest of prices. As we have seen from his reaction, it is not until something’s gone that you realise what you had. He had the chance of being involved in a home World Cup, in a successful side. The England team have been given umpteen messages that bad behaviour will no longer be tolerated. Yes, he might have been given mixed messages by the ECB — they have not dealt with the story very well and the leniency of the punishment brings repercussions. But Alex has to look at himself and ask why. These next few months will hurt more than anything.