Alex Hales’s gleaming smile said it all as he and Jos Buttler strolled off the Adelaide Oval pitch, accompanied by the sound of cheers from the England fans. The cheers were for England’s victory in the cricket match.
Alex Hales was under the impression that he would never have another opportunity like this.
Alex Hales was concerned that he would no longer be able to represent his country on the international stage because he had been overlooked for England selection for the past three and a half years.
But circumstances change.
HAlex ales has reclaimed his spot at the top of England’s batting order after a mix of factors, including the passage of time, the appointment of a new captain, and the bizarre injury sustained by Jonny Bairstow while playing golf.
And it feels like he’s never been away.
After Hales and Buttler smashed records to take England to the World Cup Final, Buttler, who is also Hales’ captain and opening partner, said of Hales, “He’s delivered in spades; he’s enormously challenging to bowl at.” “He’s delivered in spades; he’s immensely tough to bowl at,”
Hales’s combative and destructive performance was on full display as he smashed seven sixes in a 47-ball innings that resulted in India’s bowling attack being at a loss for solutions.
“It was amazing to be at the other end and see him go about his business,” added Buttler, who blasted toward the end of his own knock to finish on 80* after facing 49 balls. “It was fantastic to be at the other end and watch him go about his thing.”
“He possesses such a diverse arsenal of shots, and taking into account the contours of the terrain, he played them really effectively.” His performance in the last several matches has been nothing short of outstanding.
Hales has the full support of his captain, coach, and team after a string of three significant contributions in a row, including scores of 52 and 47 against New Zealand and Sri Lanka, respectively, prior to the semi-final match.
However, there was not always such a strong belief in the opener.
On the eve of the 2019 Cricket World Cup, England’s white-ball squad decided to cut ties with Alex Hales due to a breakdown in trust that occurred after a series of incidents.
There were very few people who disagreed with the decision; however, Hales continued to be overlooked for the next three years, which forced him to watch from the sidelines as England solidified their position as one of the most destructive white-ball teams in the world without him at the top of the order.
The announcement of Eoin Morgan’s retirement earlier this year coincided with Rob Key’s appointment as the new Executive Chairman of the England and Wales Cricket Board. The new Director of England Cricket’s remarks that Alex Hales had “served his time” offered a glimmer of hope at the possibility of a recall.
However, when the first roster for England’s team to compete in the Twenty20 World Cup was revealed, Hales was noticeably absent from the group. Hales, feeling defeated, dialed Key’s number to plead his case for further consideration.
“I spoke to Alex, he actually contacted me, and he argued why he wasn’t there and I believe that’s quite appropriate too,” Key disclosed. “I spoke to Alex, he rang me genuinely.” It’s far more to my liking when those individuals pick up the phone and ask, “come on then, why wasn’t I there?”
As it turned out, that future concern arrived only a little bit later as a result of the injury that Bairstow had while golfing. And after Key had spoken to Buttler and the other England players to get their go-ahead, Hales was given the job of opening for the England squad as a replacement for Buttler.
Alex Hales’ T20I Match Numbers
Hales has now participated in 74 T20I matches for England, and during the match against India, he scored 2000 runs.
His career T20I average is 31.40, and he has a more-than-respectable 138.47 strike rate.
Both for average and strike rate, he ranks among the top five England T20I players of all time, trailing only Liam Livingstone, Moeen Ali, Buttler, and Pietersen in the latter category and Dawid Malan, Kevin Pietersen, Joe Root, and Buttler in the former.
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