England’s explosive opening batter, Alex Hales, has announced his retirement from international cricket with immediate effect. Hales, who represented England in 11 Tests, 70 One-Day Internationals, and 75 T20Is, made his international debut against India in August 2011. His last impactful innings on the international stage was a stunning unbeaten 86 off 47 balls, including 4 fours and 7 sixes, against India in the T20 World Cup 2022 semifinal in Australia. This blistering knock, along with Jos Buttler’s unbeaten 80, led England to a commanding 10-wicket victory while chasing 169 in the semifinal at Adelaide.
In a heartfelt note shared on his Instagram account, Hales expressed his gratitude for representing his country on 156 occasions across all three formats. He mentioned that he cherishes the memories and friendships made during his cricketing journey. Hales’ decision to retire comes after England’s T20 World Cup 2022 final against Pakistan in Melbourne, where he was not part of the winning squad in 2019 due to a 21-day ban for failing a second recreational drugs test. Despite facing highs and lows in his international career, Hales said he feels content that his last game for England was winning a World Cup final.
Throughout his career, Hales played a crucial role in England’s revival in white-ball cricket. Notably, in 2018, he smashed a sensational 147 off 92 balls, including 16 fours and 5 sixes, against Australia in the Nottingham ODI, contributing to England’s monumental total of 481/6, the second-highest ODI score ever. In his 70 ODIs, Hales scored 2,419 runs at an average of 37.79, with six centuries and 14 fifties. He also made significant contributions in T20Is, accumulating 2,074 runs at an average of 30.95, with one century and 12 half-centuries. However, his performance in Test cricket was not as remarkable, managing only five fifties and a total of 573 runs at an average of 27.28 in 11 matches. Alex Hales’ decision to retire marks the end of a memorable career filled with power-packed innings and notable contributions to England’s limited-overs success.
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