Alex Hales: England opener announces retirement from international cricket

England cricketer Alex Hales has decided to retire from international cricket, effective immediately. Hales, who made his international debut in a T20I against India back in 2011, represented the Three Lions in all three formats.

The 34-year-old right-hander accumulated over 5000 runs for England. He was part of the triumphant T20 World Cup-winning England team in 2022, with his final international appearance coming against Pakistan in the final in Melbourne.

He also achieved the T20I world number one ranking for a brief period and holds the unique record of being dismissed on 99 in both ODIs and T20Is.

In a heartfelt message on his Instagram handle, Hales expressed his gratitude for the privilege of representing his country 156 times.

He wrote, “Just a note to announce that I have decided to retire from international cricket. It has been an absolute privilege to have represented my country on 156 occasions across all three formats. I've made some memories and some friendships to last a lifetime and I feel that now is the right time to move on.”

Hales encountered setbacks in his career, including being left out of the national squad for three years due to a recreational drug use issue that saw him being left out of England’s 2019 World Cup squad.

Hales later made a successful comeback during England's tour of Pakistan for a bilateral T20I series in September 2022.

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