Alex Hales announces retirement from international cricket

LONDON: England batter Alex Hales has announced his retirement from international cricket with immediate effect, ending a career which saw him play 156 games and amass 5066 runs across all three formats. His last match as an England cricketer came in the side’s five-wicket win over Pakistan to win the 2022 Men’s T20 World Cup at the MCG in November last year.

“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,” said Hales in a statement on his Instagram account.

Hales made a surprise return to England’s tours of Pakistan and England, as well as for the T20 World Cup due to Jonny Bairstow being ruled out of action by a freak leg injury. Hales made 52 and 47 in England’s last two group games against New Zealand and Sri Lanka.

He was then at his scintillating best, hitting an unbeaten 86 from 47 deliveries to help England thrash India by ten wickets in the semifinal at Adelaide. Though he fell cheaply in the final at MCG, Hales managed to eventually sign off from international cricket as a T20 World Cup winner.

The right-handed batter hit seven centuries for England in international cricket, including a then-record 171 against Pakistan at Trent Bridge and England’s first-ever ton in T20Is. He was part of the teams that twice broke the ODI world record, with that 171 helping England to a total of 444/3, before hitting 147 two summers later to propel the side to smashing 481/6 against Australia in Nottingham. IANS

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