04 August 2023 , 11:11
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England batter Alex Hales has announced his decision to retire from international cricket.
Hales, 34, made 156 appearances for England across all three formats and helped them win the 2022 T20 World Cup. He was also a key part of England's all-conquering ODI side, which climbed to the top of the world rankings.
"It’s been a privilege to pull on the England shirt as many times as I have, across all formats," said Hales.
"So now to be able to reflect on that journey, the career I’ve had on the international stage and the moments I have been fortunate enough to be a part of, is really satisfying.
"There are so many memories that I have made both on and off the pitch, but I look back particularly to those two One Day International World Record scores at Trent Bridge, and being able to reach three figures in both of those games on my home ground was really special.
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"And, clearly, to come away from my last tournament with England as a T20 World Cup winner is the perfect finish."
England stars Sam Curran and Liam Livingstone were among those to send their best wishes to Hales on social media.
Hales scored 2,074 runs in 75 T20Is and 2,419 in 70 ODIs for England between 2011 and 2022. He also played 11 Tests for England in 2015 and 2016, but was much better suited to the white-ball formats.
Alex Hales helped England win the T20 World Cup last year (Mark Kolbe/Getty Images)Having been recalled to the squad for the T20 World Cup last year, he made a telling contribution at the top of the order. Fittingly, his final appearance in an England shirt came in the successful final against Pakistan in November.
Although a powerful hitter at the top of the order, Hales' England career was not without its controversies. The tall right-hander was axed from the England squad for the 50-over World Cup in 2019 after failing recreational drugs test.
Hales served a 21-day ban after returning a second positive test and was cut from the 15-man squad for the World Cup after captain Eoin Morgan said there had been a "complete breakdown of trust" in their relationship.
The Nottinghamshire batter missed out on England winning the competition in the most dramatic of fashions, against New Zealand at Lord's, and never played for the team again under Morgan's captaincy.
Hales was also present at the street fight outside a Bristol nightclub in September 2017 which saw Ben Stokes in court charged with affray. Stokes was later acquitted and, while Hales did not face any criminal charges, he was suspended by the ECB.
Hales will continue playing for Nottinghamshire and will seek further opportunities in franchises around the world. He has previously played in the IPL, Big Bash, PSL and CPL.