High profile English cricketer Alex Hales, who is playing for Islamabad United in the Pakistan Super League (PSL), has slammed England’s decision to cancel the Pakistan tour last year.
Just three months before this tournament, the England Cricket team had backed out of a short tour to Pakistan last October.
“That decision to cancel that tour made absolutely no sense. Especially after Pakistan came to England during Covid and helped out the ECB massively. So for them to cancel that tour made absolutely zero sense to me. It was only a short tour, only a few T20s so it made no sense,” Hales was quoted as saying by Geo TV.
Alex Hales was on a roll during Islamabad United’s PSL 2022 season opener against Peshawar Zalmi on Sunday (January 30) where he scored a match-winning unbeaten 82 off 54 deliveries. He was also involved in a 112-run opening stand with Paul Stirling. Even though Hales had scored at a brisk rate for the United chasing down 169, it was Stirling who was adjudged the Player of the Match for his enterprising 25-ball 57.
Hales also spoke about his experience in Pakistan and said. The former England opener said that the country is a great place to play cricket.
"I've been here four or five times now and get looked after really well. Every time we come here, the people are very hospitable and cricket is always really good. The fans here are crazy for it. So, it's a great place to come and play cricket, I absolutely feel safe," he added.
Hales said that even though he has visited Pakistan several times, he is yet to get the opportunity to explore the country.
Hales is among the 24 English cricketers playing in this year's PSL.
"The first two years they were quite strict with security and in the last couple of years, it's been COVID and bubbles and stuff like that. So, unfortunately, I've not really had much of a chance to explore but hopefully in the next two or three years, if I come back, [I may] get a chance to explore, if COVID chilled out and security settles down then certainly [I would] love to see the country, I've heard it's beautiful," Hales added.
The England batter said the PSL is a great tournament, and he holds it in high regard.
"It's a tournament that I hold in high regard. The standard of cricket is really good, especially as a batter coming here. The standard of fast bowling is as good as anywhere in the world, you have guys bowling at express pace and more often not good pitches to bat on. So, if you play well you feel like you can score runs but you have to earn those runs," he said.
The ECB and PCB have renegotiated that tour and England are now scheduled to tour Pakistan twice later this year. They first arrive in September for a seven-match T20I series, in the lead-up to the T20 World Cup in Australia. Following that tournament, they will visit again for a three-Test series in November-December.
