England's explosive batter Alex Hales, at 34, has announced his retirement from international cricket with immediate effect. He bid adieu to his illustrious cricketing career as a T20 World Cup champions as his last dance came in the five-wicket triumph over Pakistan at the MCG in November in 2022.
Over the past nine months, Hales has been in sporadic talks England's team management, deliberating the balance between bilateral commitments and franchise cricket contracts. He has chosen to take an exit from the international cricket, while affirming his continued participation in short-form leagues globally.
In a statement post retirement Hales said,"It has been an absolute privilege to have represented my country on 156 occasions across all three formats".
"l'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," Hales statement added.
Earlier this year, Hales decided against participating in England's T20I series in Bangladesh, instead opted to honor a PSL contract. He also anticipates another commitment conflict later this month. Currently, he is negotiating a deal with a CPL franchise as a potential substitute, which would have prevented his involvement in England's home T20I series against New Zealand.
Notably, Hales concludes his stint with England having scored 2419 ODI runs at an average of 37.79, which includes six centuries. He is also among the trio of players to have scored over 2000 T20I runs for England, with his single century achieved against a Sri Lanka team that included Ajantha Mendis and Lasith Malinga in the 2014 T20 World Cup. In a total of 75 T20Is that Hales played, he amassed 2074 runs riding on a ton and 12 fifties.
Hales played a critical role in the resurgence of England's ODI team after their disappointing performance at the 2015 ODI World Cup, where they were eliminated in the very first stage. His 11-year career wasn't devoid of controversies, along with his triumphs on the cricket field.
As far as England's triumphant T20 World Cup 2022's season is concerned, Hales concluded as team's second most prolific run-scorer, amassing 212 runs with an average of 42.40 and a striking rate of 147.22, along with two half-centuries to his credit.
The 34-year-old player was barred from the ODI team following an altercation outside a nightclub in Bristol in September 2017. This incident indirectly facilitated Jason Roy's remarkable return to the England squad.
A controversial phase also loomed in Hales' career, when he was banned for 21 days in 2019 ahead of the World Cup due to a failed drug test. However, he returned to English fold after a spell of more than three years.
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