Former England captain Michael Vaughan has cast doubts over a potential international return for Alex Hales after the 30-year old was dropped from England’s ICC Cricket World Cup squad for reportedly failing a second drugs test.
England managing director Ashley Giles last week confirmed that Hales was to be axed from the squad for this summer’s flagship ODI tournament after news emerged of the Nottinghamshire batsman’s 21-day suspension for an “off-the-field incident”. England’s ODI skipper Eoin Morgan subsequently claimed: “There has been a complete breakdown of trust between the team and Alex.”
Speaking to BBC Radio 5 Live, Vaughan expressed strong doubts as to whether Hales would return to the international fold in future, citing the infamous incident in Bristol in 2017, where he and Ben Stokes were involved in a fracas outside a nightclub, as the “line-in-the-sand moment”.
“I don’t know how he comes back from this,” Vaughan said. “Bristol was a line-in-the-sand moment – they all realise they have to be better role models. Alex Hales was on a 12-month suspended sentence from his actions in Bristol. He has lost the trust of the team.”
Hales made a return for his county side Nottinghamshire on May 6, scoring 36 as they secured their place at the top of the Royal London One-Day Cup Northern Group with a one-wicket victory over Northamptonshire.
