Alex Hales Announces 'Shocking' Retirement From International Cricket

image-lkwh8mi7Hales played a crucial role for England in T20 WC last year [Twitter]

In what comes as an absolute shocker, swashbuckling English opener Alex Hales has announced his retirement from international cricket. Hales, who recently made his much-awaited comeback and played a pivotal role in England's triumphant campaign in the T20 World Cup last year, has taken the cricketing world by storm through this decision. 

The dynamic right-handed batter cited his ambitions to explore more opportunities in franchise leagues as the primary reason behind his retirement. He also thanked his friends and family for their constant support, admitting the T20 World Cup final win to be his most cherished moment in the English jersey. 

Despite being a prolific performer in the T20 leagues around the world, Hales was ignored by the national selectors for some off-field reasons. However, he made a miraculous comeback into the English T20I side and eventually featured in the T20 World Cup Down Under. 

Opening alongside skipper Jos Buttler, Hales was instrumental in providing the eventual champions with blistering starts throughout the tournament, amassing 212 runs, including two fifties, at an impressive average of 42.40 and a fabulous strike rate of 147.22. 

However, the tournament turned out to be Hales’ last dance in England colours, as he didn’t represent the national side ever again. Overall, he finishes his career with 5066 international runs in 163 innings across formats.