WOAKES: GIVE HALES ANOTHER CHANCE
Woakes backs Notts batsman for an England recall after exile over drugs
Chris Woakes believes alex hales should be given a second chance and recalled by england next week when they name two squads for the international summer.
hales was exiled in disgrace on the eve of the World Cup last year when it was revealed he was serving a ban for recreational drug use and had, in the words of captain eoin Morgan, ‘broken the trust’ of the england team.
But hales insisted in a Sportsmail interview this month that he had learned his lesson and hoped the ‘damage isn’t terminal’ as he targeted an england return ahead of the scheduled Twenty20 World Cup in australia in November.
The remorse shown in that interview is understood to have been well received by the eCB and the england camp.
Now he has received support from Woakes, one of the senior players who banished him. ‘i’m a believer that people serve their time, so to speak,’ said Woakes after bowling five overs in a biosecure environment at edgbaston to take the first steps towards what england are increasingly hopeful will be a full international summer.
‘alex has gone through a tough time and seeing the team lift the trophy must have been difficult for him.
‘i believe if people have gone away and worked on their weaknesses, they should be given a second chance. i’ve played a lot of cricket with alex from a young age and in a way i felt sorry for him, but i understood the decision from the management, captain and the rest of the team. ‘i don’t know 100 per cent what will happen but i’d be happy to see alex back.’ Morgan said last month the ‘door wasn’t closed’ on hales (left) but it was a cautious endorsement and key figures still have reservations. But the situation england find themselves in provides the perfect opportunity to bring back hales, in an extended white-ball squad of up to 30 players, separate from the Test party who will face West indies and Pakistan. it could be now or never for the 31-year-old, who has been in prolific form in various short-form tournaments — and Woakes believes he is far from alone in offering an olive branch to a batsman he insists is world class. ‘i’d imagine the majority of the team feel the same way as i do,’ said Woakes.
‘i don’t know why anyone would feel differently. We have a culture in the england team where we all try to pull in the right direction. if alex is willing to do that, i’d imagine everyone would be happy to see him back playing for england.’
Woakes will be among the bowlers stepping up training next week and plans three sessions with Warwickshire coach Graeme Welch. ‘it’ll take quite a bit of headspace to tick all the boxes,’ he said in a Zoom call yesterday. ‘ The eCB, venues and counties are going above and beyond making it as safe as possible.’
and Woakes believes bowlers will find a way to find swing even though they won’t be allowed to use saliva on the ball when cricket returns, which in england’s case could be the first Test against West indies on July 8.
‘My first session was literally about turning my arm over and getting things moving,’ he said. ‘Moving forward you will have to remind yourself you can’t use those things to shine the ball. We’ve got to find a way to shine the ball. Luckily it moves in england anyway.’