Birthday special: Alex Hales – On-field brilliance spoiled by off-field controversies
Alex Hales, who turns 32 today, first hogged the limelight at the age of 16 after he hit 52 runs off a single over, finishing unbeaten on 114, playing at the London County Cricket Club’s Founders Day at Lord’s in 2005. Three years later, he was roped in by Nottinghamshire and had a decent summer, representing his team in limited-overs cricket.
The firsts
Hales represented the England U19 squad that toured New Zealand during the 2008 season, and he smashed three half-centuries. His first appearance in the international scene was not as eventful though, as he began his journey with a duck against India in 2011. However, he fought back with an impressive knock of 62 off 48 balls against West Indies at The Oval. In his first T20I, in June 2012, against West Indies, he failed to become the first batsman ever to score a century for England in the shortest format, as he got dismissed on an unlucky 99, on his home ground of Trent Bridge.
He continued to be a part of the England team at the World T20 in Sri Lanka and scored 124 runs in five innings before their campaign came to an end. In ODIs, his prowess was evident when he smashed 171 during the third ODI against Pakistan on his home soil at Trent Bridge in 2016. Despite his immense skill and potential, it remains a regret of Alex Hales’ career that he will be remembered more for what he missed than what he achieved.
#OnThisDay in 2016, England smashed 444-3 (against Pakistan at Trent Bridge), the then Highest score in an ODI
Alex Hales smashed 171- the then Highest ODI score by an English batsmanpic.twitter.com/7osi2a5T9J
— Cricketopia (@CricketopiaCom) August 30, 2020
Off the field issues
Despite being a key member of England’s limited-overs team following the 2015 World Cup, Hales missed the 2019 edition as he had to serve a ban for a second drug test failure. The ban did not necessarily mean him to be out of the tournament, although the England management decided that Hales’ behaviour had constituted complete disregard for team values and amounted to a breakdown of trust. He was left out of that World Cup squad and even missed out on a central contract at the end of the season.
Hales had once already lost his position as a first-choice opener after he was suspended from the ODI side due to an unfortunate brawl outside a nightclub in Bristol in 2017. His exit allowed Jason Roy a recall, and he responded with spectacular innings in the following games. With Jonny Bairstow already excelling at the top of the order, Hales soon became a reserve player for his nation.
Having made his reputation in the entire world as a T20 specialist, he continues to shine with his skill set in various leagues. However, it will remain a regret that he is yet to make the full use of his potential at the international level.
