TON STAR ALEX EYES UP ASHES
ALEX HALES is targeting England’s Ashes squad next winter after a match-winning century on his ODI return against West Indies.
The Notts opener, 28, has endured a nightmare few months. He was dropped from the Test team, missed the tour of Bangladesh on security grounds and broke his right hand in the second ODI against India in January.
He was recalled for the final ODI of the Caribbean tour in Barbados and responded with a brilliant 110 to set up a 186-run win. It sealed a 3-0 series whitewash.
He said: “It’s an incredible feeling. The last six months have been long and frustrating so in my first game back in a while it was great to go back out there and do that.
“Having not played a lot of cricket throughout the winter, it was an incredibly special feeling. It was encouraging and pleasing they stuck with me. It was obviously my choice not to tour Bangladesh and gave the opportunity for other people to come in and do well. “That was a risk I knew I was taking and the injury then came at a bad time for me. “I felt confident [getting back in] but it was always going to be a risk, me leaving a spot open by choosing not to tour.” Hales, who has five ODI centuries, will be a key part of England’s side for the upcoming Champions Trophy on home soil. But having been dropped from the Test team last summer following a poor series against Pakistan, Hales will drop to the middle order for Notts in a bid to force his way back. “When you spend time away from international cricket it makes you realise what you’re missing,” he added. “It’s a huge honour to represent England and when you have time away from that it makes you cherish what you’ve got. “The plan next summer is to try and score as many runs as I can in the middle order. “I’m going to give it everything this summer and see what happens.”