Alexander Daniel Hales, commonly known as Alex Hales, is a professional cricket player from England. Born on January 3, 1989, Hales has had a rollercoaster career filled with both triumph and controversy.
Hales is best known for his central role in England’s T20 World Cup win in 2022. This victory ensured that he would be remembered for his accomplishments on the field rather than his personal setbacks. Three years prior to the World Cup win, Hales had watched England lift the 50-over World Cup from his sofa after being dropped from the squad due to a failed recreational drugs test. This incident caused a significant breakdown in trust between him and his teammates, leading to a three-year international exile.
Despite initially being left out of the squad for the 2022 T20 World Cup, Hales eventually made a comeback. Due to an unfortunate leg injury sustained by Jonny Bairstow, Hales was given another opportunity to represent his country. He made a strong impression during the warm-up series against Pakistan and Australia, but it was in the knockout matches where he truly shone. Hales contributed impressive scores of 52 and 47 in must-win games against New Zealand and Sri Lanka, respectively. In the semifinal at Adelaide Oval, a ground he had come to love while playing in the Big Bash League, Hales played a match-winning knock of 86 not out off just 47 balls, including seven sixes. England clinched a resounding 10-wicket victory over India. Although he only scored 1 in the final against Pakistan, England emerged victorious, and Hales finally lifted a World Cup trophy.
Known for his destructive batting style, Hales was considered part of a new generation of fearless English batters when he made his international debut in 2011. Standing at an imposing height of 6ft 5in, he thrived against fast bowling and made history as the first Englishman to score a T20I hundred, an unbeaten 116 against Sri Lanka in the 2014 World T20.
Despite his success in T20 cricket, Hales faced initial struggles in the 50-over format. He made his ODI debut three years after his T20I debut and was plagued by mistrust in his abilities. However, he found support from captain Eoin Morgan and the coaching staff, who persisted with him even during a lean 2015 summer. Hales repaid their faith with impressive ODI hundreds in Cape Town and Abu Dhabi during the 2015/16 winter. In 2016, he broke the long-standing record for the highest score by an Englishman in ODIs, smashing 171 off 122 balls against Pakistan at Trent Bridge.
Although Hales had a brief Test career, playing 11 matches and averaging 27.28, he found himself restricted by the demands of the format. His strike rate of 43.84 reflected a batter who felt shackled by Test cricket rather than liberated.
Hales’ career was marred by off-field controversies, particularly a suspension from the ODI side due to involvement in a brawl outside a Bristol nightclub in 2017. This incident gave Jason Roy the opportunity to establish himself as the first-choice opener, and Hales found himself sidelined.
In 2018, Hales made the decision to focus solely on limited-overs cricket by signing a white-ball-only contract with Nottinghamshire and participating in the IPL. During a one-day series against Australia, he scored an impressive 147 runs at Trent Bridge, contributing to England’s historic whitewash victory.
Unfortunately, Hales faced another setback when he failed a second recreational drugs test during the 2019 World Cup. The details of his ban were not made public, and he was absent from the tournament for “personal reasons” according to Nottinghamshire. This revelation blindsided Morgan and other senior players, leading to Hales being excluded from the national team once again.
In the years that followed, Hales turned to franchise leagues around the world, accumulating valuable experience and waiting for a recall to the England team. His opportunity finally arrived in 2022 when he played a pivotal role in England’s T20 World Cup triumph.
Hales eventually retired from international cricket nine months after the World Cup win, choosing to focus on franchise leagues while keeping himself available for selection. Throughout his career, Hales showcased tremendous talent and resilience, overcoming personal setbacks to achieve success on the cricket field.
