Alex Hales has earned a recall for England’s T20 World Cup squad, three years after his last international appearance.
The explosive batsman was dropped from England’s Cricket World Cup-winning squad in 2019 after testing positive for recreational drugs prior to the tournament.
Then white-ball captain Eoin Morgan cited a “complete breakdown in trust” for Hales’ continued exile.
However, Jonny Bairstow will miss the tournament in Australia having suffered a “freak” injury while playing golf, and Jason Roy remains badly out of form.
Those events have led to a surprise return for 33-year-old Hales, who will also be part of England’s touring party for the seven-match T20I series in Pakistan, which starts on September 20. His last appearance was in a T20I fixture against West Indies in March 2019.
An ECB statement read: “Nottinghamshire batter Alex Hales has been called up to England’s ICC Men’s T20 World Cup squad as a replacement for Yorkshire’s Jonathan Bairstow after a left-ankle injury sustained last week ended his chances of playing in the tournament.
Alex Hales has also been added to our squads for the #T20WorldCup and IT20 tour of Pakistan ðŸ
— England Cricket (@englandcricket) September 7, 2022
“Hales, 33, who last represented England in March 2019, has also been added to the IT20 squad for the tour of Pakistan.”
Speaking to Sky Sports on Tuesday, Morgan said of Hales: “There’s one thing about Alex, his quality has never been a question.
“It’s whether the team would like him in the side, or captains can trust him, or the coach, or the selectors.
“[England’s men’s managing director] Rob Key said he is available for selection, so that means he goes into a pool of players with the likes of Will Jacks, Phil Salt, Will Smeed, that sort of calibre of player.
“But there’s no doubt he’s extremely destructive and a match-winner.”