England opener, Alex Hales allegedly argued with the managing director of England cricket questioning his exclusion from the upcoming T20 world cup squad.
England announced their squad for the upcoming Pakistan tour and T20 World Cup that will be held in October. Jason Roy was dropped from the squad citing poor form which lead to an empty opening slot. Alex Hales was next in line. But to everyone’s amazement, he was sidelined, and instead, Jonny Bairstow was given the task to move up the order and open the innings alongside Jos Buttler. Phil Salt was named as the backup opener.
Rob Key’s statement on the whole matter
Rob Key, managing director of England Men’s cricket team, revealed that Hales gave him a call and demanded an explanation for his omission. He said,
“I spoke to Alex Hales on phone, he rang me actually and argued why he wasn’t there and think that’s quite right too. I very much prefer when these people pick up the phone and say, ‘come on then, why wasnโt I there?’ย Weย have a huge amount of respect for that as opposed to people who go behind the scenes moaning about why they have not been picked”
He stated that Alex was in the discussion but they eventually decided to go ahead with Bairstow as they felt he was the right pick. He further added,
“I’ve said on several occasions that I feel Alex Hales has served his time for his misdemeanors. Now it depends on form, selection, and also whether we feel they are the best person to go out there. At this exact moment, we feel Jonny Bairstow is that person”
In his statement, Rob further elaborated stating that the competition is getting fierce as everyone is excelling in their roles. So when people question their exclusion, it is rightly understood. He was quoted saying,
“It’s just that it is an unfortunate time where there is a hell of a lot of good players. People say it’s a good headache to have but it’s not straightforward with who you pick as a batter in this particular format of white-ball cricket. There are so many good options available. There’s a lot of people who have also missed out who rightly could have said ‘how come I’m not in?'”
Bairstow ruled out following an injury
Meanwhile, the selection committee’s plan to promote Jonny Bairstow has sailed down the river following his freak injury. Jonny suffered a leg injury while playing golf and has been ruled out of the upcoming T20 World Cup. Phil Salt is next in line to replace him.
Alex Hales has failed to gain back his rhythm since 2019. He was axed from the team on numerous occasions. He managed to put on a good show in this year’s The Hundred Edition playing for Trent Rockets. Needless to say, he staked his expectations pretty high which lead to disappointment.
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