One man’s loss is another man’s fortune. This has been the case with Alex Hales. The English batsman has not participated in any competition or tour for England since 2019. However, Jonny Bairstow’s injury opened a new door for Hales. Ben Stokes, the England Test captain has a bit of history with Alex. Once good friends, the duo fell apart after there were changes against Stokes of violence. Nonetheless, the all-arounder was more than happy for his teammate and hailed him as a great T20 batsman.
Recalling his conversations with the batsman, Ben Stokes remembered that the two had a shared target of winning a T20 World Cup for their country. “I think at the end of the day, everyone’s goal is to win that World Cup for England. My goal, Alex’s goal, and everyone else who’s part of that squad’s goal is to win that World Cup”, Stokes said.
Praising the caliber of his teammate, he continued, “Alex is definitely one of the best T20 players in the world and unfortunately with what happened with Jonny we had to call another player up. Alex is definitely one of the guys that bowlers don’t want to be bowling at in the T20 format.”
Alex Hales and Ben Stokes may play together for England in the upcoming Pakistan series
Furthermore, discussing the selection, he mentioned Jonny Bairstow’s injury, He was all set to play the final Test versus South Africa starting September 8. After losing the first Test, the hosts made a commendable comeback in the second one. Currently, the series stands at a tie with 1 win each for the two teams. Harry Brook will make his debut for England in the longest format of the game with this match.
England’s T20 World Cup 2022 squad looks like a well-balanced team. However, Ben Stokes’ and Livingstone’s form will be crucial to grabbing some quick runs in slog and death overs. Captain Jos Buttler had an amazing IPL this year and he will look forward to taking that magical touch to the tournament. On the other hand, Alex Hales will be motivated to give the best he can. His performance in ‘The Hundred’ has been a major contribution to his team’s win. Prior to the world cup, he will travel with the team to Pakistan for a 7-match T20I series.