Alex Hales (Source: @ICC/X.com, @TrentBridge/X.com)
In a major shocker to English cricket, Alex Hales, one of the top performers in the global T20 landscape, has decided to quit domestic English cricket for Nottinghamshire and Trent Rockets this season. This is because Hales has signed an exclusive deal with the Knight Riders franchise for the upcoming edition of Major League Cricket (MLC) and the Caribbean Premier League (CPL).
Alex Hales Becomes Full-Time Global Freelancer
Alex Hales quit international cricket back in 2023 but played a significant part for his domestic county, Nottinghamshire, in the T20 Blast. He recently became the second player in the T20 charts to score these many runs, as he's only behind Chris Gayle.
However, Hales, who also represents Trent Rockets in The Hundred, has decided to shift his base to Dubai in the United Arab Emirates, where his focus will now be on playing overseas franchise leagues.
The central talking point about Hales' upcoming exclusion is that he will now be focusing on playing in the USA's Major League Cricket and the West Indies' Caribbean Premier League, where he will be representing the Los Angeles Knight Riders (LAKR) and Trinbago Knight Riders (TKR), respectively, in these tournaments.
So, for the unversed, Hales has spent 17 years playing for his county club, Nottinghamshire, at Trent Bridge, but this season, for the first time, he will not be featuring in a single game for his side.
Hales Following Footsteps Of Roy And Vince
Previously, Jason Roy, who terminated his ECB's incremental contract, became the first player to feature in the MLC. Following in his footsteps, Hales is all set to become the second player from England to play a part in the Major League Cricket.
However, Roy, who played in both the previous seasons for the Knight Riders, has not been retained so far by the franchise. There are more chances that he will play for Surrey in the T20 Blast.
Despite not featuring in any English county match this season, Hales will still require a no-objection certificate letter from the England & Wales Cricket Board (ECB) to participate in any overseas competition worldwide.
Moreover, before Hales, it was James Vince who decided to permanently quit first-class cricket as he shifted his home base to Dubai. His deal with the Pakistan Super League (PSL) franchise Karachi Kings played a massive part in this, as he will not be available for Hampshire this season in red-ball cricket.
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