‘It’s been an absolute privilege’: Alex Hales calls time on England career
England batter Alex Hales has announced his retirement from international cricket. The 34-year-old played 156 times for his country across the three formats of the game in an 11-year spell, with his last appearance coming in England’s T20 World Cup final win against Pakistan.
Hales, who will continue to play for Nottinghamshire and in T20 franchises around the world, excelled in the shorter forms of the game, ending with 2,419 runs from 70 one-day internationals while scoring 2,074 runs in 75 20-over innings. He played in 11 Tests in 2015-16 with a top score of 94.
His time in the England set-up was not without controversy, though, as in 2017 he was involved with Ben Stokes in an incident outside a Bristol nightclub that saw him charged by the England and Wales Cricket Board and subsequently suspended. He was banned again in 2019 after testing positive for a recreational drug, an indiscretion that ended his 50-over career.
Hales reflected on his career with pride, saying on Instagram: “It has been an absolute privilege to have represented my country on 156 occasions across all three formats. I’ve made some memories and some friendships to last a lifetime and I feel that now is the right time to move on.
“Throughout my time in an England shirt I’ve experienced some of the highest highs as well as some of the lowest lows. It’s been an incredible journey and I feel very content that my last game for England was winning a World Cup final.
Throughout the ups and downs I’ve always felt a huge amount of support from my friends, family and undoubtedly the best fans in world cricket.
“I look forward to continuing to play for Notts and experiencing more franchise cricket around the world.” PA Media