England furious, but banned Hales still in squad

ALEX HALES is set to take part in the World Cup, despite failing two drugs tests and pushing the England management to the brink of despair.

It emerged on Friday that the ‘personal reason’ behind his failure to appear for Nottinghamshire during the Royal London One-Day Cup was a 21-day ban for recreational drug use.

That left big-name pundits such as Michael Vaughan and Mike Atherton to suggest he should be ditched by England following a string of adverse headlines — including his part in the Bristol night out that led to the arrest of Ben Stokes, and an infidelity during the recent tour of the Caribbean.

Hales, reserve opening batsman in England’s preliminary 15-man World Cup squad, is said to have been contrite about his latest misdemeanour.

A third drugs transgression would lead to a year-long ban and, potentially, the end of his contracts with club and country.

But barring a late change of heart by the ECB he is likely to retain his place in the squad despite the claims of Hampshire’s James Vince, who on Friday hit 190 off 154 balls. Board officials and Ashley Giles, the managing director of England men’s cricket, are furious that Hales has fallen foul of the authorities, only eight months after pleading guilty to bringing the game into disrepute following the Bristol brawl, and that their preparations for a first home World Cup in 20 years have been overshadowed.

But the fact that he is more than two-thirds of the way through his ban, which will end in time for England’s one-day international against Ireland in Dublin on Friday, suggests the decision has already been made to allow him to take part in the World Cup.

Hales has also joined up with his England teammates for a three-day training camp in Cardiff ahead of the Ireland trip, and it is understood that no formal conversations with the management have been planned during that time.

The ECB would not comment on the matter.

The back spasm suffered by first-choice opener Jason Roy makes the presence of the experienced Hales all the more important.

The ECB also have a duty of care to their employees, and punishing Hales beyond his 21-day ban would contravene their protocol.