England white ball coach Matthew Mott has revealed that Alex Hales was approached to convince him to return to the 50+ setup ahead of the ODI series in Bangladesh. Although the right-hander turned down the offer to meet his franchise commitments, Mott said the door remains open.
Hales made a long-awaited return to the national team at the 2022 T20 World Cup in Australia, playing a significant role in England’s victory. However, he hasn’t played ODI cricket since 2019 when he was omitted from the World Cup squad after testing positive for a recreational drug.
Mott, who will coach England in the limited pack series in Bangladesh, said the opener should be considered, especially after a productive edition of the T20 World Cup. As quoted by the Daily Mail, Mott stated:
“We certainly talked to him about it, particularly when he had such a great Twenty20 World Cup, and that door is still open. When we sit down to pick that team for the World Cup, we won’t hold a grudge against anyone who hasn’t taken advantage of it. this opportunity”.
He continued:
“It’s an invitation to play and we totally understand if there are other factors at play. Anyone who is playing white-ball cricket well, is fit at the right time and is someone we think can be good in sub-continental conditions will be in the mix. .”
The 34-year-old was England’s second-highest run accumulator at the 2022 T20 World Cup, amassing 212 runs in six games at 42.40 and hitting 147.22. Hales has equally strong ODI numbers, averaging 37.79 in 70 matches with 2419 runs.
Alex Hales continues his fine form in franchise cricket
Meanwhile, Alex Hales has continued his brilliant form in the cricket franchise, more specifically in the IL20 in the United Arab Emirates. The Nottinghamshire batsman played for eventual champions Desert Vipers and became the tournament’s top runner with 469 runs in 12 games at 46.90.
Hales is part of Islamabad United for PSL 2023. In 28 PSL games, the veteran batsman has 895 runs at 37.29 with a strike rate of 145.05. United currently sit second in the points table with three wins from four games.