England batter Alex Hales announces retirement from international cricket with immediate effect

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.

“There are so many memories that I have made both on and off the pitch, but I look back, particularly to those two One Day International World Record scores at Trent Bridge and being able to reach three figures in both of those games on my home ground was really special. And to come away from my last tournament with England as a T20 World Cup winner is the perfect finish,” stated Hales, as per his county side Nottinghamshire.

Hales was a consistent fixture in England’s ODI resurgence before being axed from their squad for the Men’s ODI World Cup in 2019 due to failing a recreational drugs test. Eventually, England won the tournament under Eoin Morgan’s leadership and Hales never played 50-over cricket internationally since then.

He was also suspended by the ECB after being involved in a street fight outside a Bristol nightclub also involving Ben Stokes. Apart from white-ball appearances, Hales played 11 Tests, scored five half-centuries and averaged 27.28, but was dropped ahead of England’s tours in 2016-17 and quit red-ball cricket ahead of the 2018 county championship season.

“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,” concluded Hales.

–IANS