Alex Hales axed from England World Cup squad after ban for drugs

He’s out: Alex Hales has been serving a 21-day ban for the use of recreational drugs
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Will Macpherson29 April 2019

Alex Hales has been axed from England’s World Cup squad after serving a ban for recreational drugs use.

Hales was initially said to be missing from Nottinghamshire’s Royal London One-Day Cup campaign for “personal reasons”, with no timeframe for his return, but on Friday the Guardian revealed that he was serving a 21-day ban for recreational drug use, having failed a test for the second time in his career.

Hales reported for an England camp at the Vale Resort in Cardiff but was sent home early after the decision was made that he would not be involved in the one-off one-day international in Dublin this Friday, the six matches against Pakistan that follow, or the World Cup.

When Hales was named in England’s provisional World Cup squad 12 days ago, the ECB were aware of his ban. His subsequent removal raises questions over whether the ECB have acted purely because the issue became public or whether they would have dropped him if it remained private.

England’s World Cup preparations had been unusually sedate until now, with Eoin Morgan’s side ranked No1 in the world and favourites to lift the trophy on home soil.

But this has provided a rocky start to a potentially defining summer, which contains the rare double of a home World Cup and Ashes series.

It is no secret that England’s patience with Hales had been running thin since his involvement in the Bristol nightclub bust-up in September 2017 that saw Ben Stokes arrested. The England all-rounder was cleared of affray but Hales, who was never charged, did receive a £17,500 fine and six-match ban from the ECB for his role in the incident.

ECB managing director of men’s cricket Ashley Giles said the decision to axe Hales had not been taken lightly and insisted that the 30-year-old could play international cricket again.

Hales has six ODI centuries — and England’s only T20 century — and has proved a high-quality performer, albeit prone to off-field brain-fades in his seven-year international career.

Giles added: “We have thought long and hard about this decision. We have worked hard to create the right environment around the England team and need to consider what is in the best interests of the team to ensure they are free from any distractions and able to focus on being successful on the pitch.

“I want to make it clear this is not the end of Alex’s career as an England player. The ECB and the PCA (the Professional Cricketers’ Association) will continue to aid Alex and work alongside his county club Nottinghamshire to give him the support he needs, to help him fulfil his potential as a professional cricketer.”

Having been first-choice opener for more than two years before the incident in Bristol, Hales (right) lost his place to Jonny Bairstow, whose partnership with Jason Roy has proved very fruitful. Hales was set to be the back-up batsman this summer.

England have until May 23 to confirm their final World Cup squad.

James Vince, who now looks set to get a chance in Dublin, is his likeliest replacement — Sam Billings suffered a very badly-timed shoulder injury playing for Kent last week — but the selectors could also use it as an opportunity to bring Jofra Archer — who will make his England debut this week — into the squad. That would leave Joe Denly as the sole spare batsman.

A replacement for the trips to Dublin and Cardiff (a T20 v Pakistan) in the next week, and for the five-match ODI series against Pakistan that starts next Wednesday at the Kia Oval, were expected later today, with Middlesex captain Dawid Malan in contention to step up.

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