Alex Hales to return to red-ball cricket after 2019 World Cup [Update Post #21]

[Abdullah719]

London (AFP) - Alex Hales announced on Tuesday he is turning his back on Test cricket after signing a new limited-overs contract with county side Nottinghamshire following a similar decision by England team-mate Adil Rashid.

Rashid last week said he intended to focus solely on shorter, white-ball cricket for Yorkshire this season and Hales has penned a deal until the end of the 2019 season that will see him feature only in 50-over and 20-over formats of the game.

Hales's decision is likely to strengthen fears that England's top limited-overs internationals could abandon first class, or red-ball, cricket, which includes five-day Test matches, in favour of playing in lucrative domestic Twenty20 competitions around the world.

The opening batsman proved crucial in Nottinghamshire's domestic white-ball double in 2017 and is a regular in England's limited-overs set-up with 58 one-day and 52 T20 international appearances.

But the 29-year-old's decision seemingly ends his hopes of adding to his 11 Test caps, the last of which he earned in August 2016.

"For the next 18 months I'm excited to focus entirely on limited overs cricket and want to be part of a Notts team that retains the white ball double and a World Cup winning squad with England," he said in a statement on Twitter.

"The decision to focus on my white ball game wasn't taken lightly or on the spur of the moment, it's one I've thought long and hard about. It's also one I've discussed at length with the Notts management."

Hales, who has registered 13 centuries in 107 first-class appearances, is slated to feature in the upcoming Pakistan Super League with Islamabad United following England's one-day series in New Zealand but both he and Rashid were overlooked in the Indian Premier League auction.

"Alex is entitled to make himself available for whatever format he wants to play, and we respect his decision," said Nottinghamshire director of cricket Mick Newell. "He's an outstanding white ball player and we look forward to him helping us win more trophies in that format of the game."

https://au.sports.yahoo.com/cricket/a/39236467/englands-hales-turns-back-on-test-cricket/

 

[IndianFan2018]

Alex Hales batting style is suited for white ball cricket only, why waste effort and time in red ball cricket #GoodDecision

 

[JattMaula]

Are talented and established English players setting bad example for youngsters?

I don't mind if Legends like Lala give up their place for young players but Hales and Rashid had realistic chance of playing tests.

 

[Varun]

This was known right since he walked away from the Bangladesh tour.

 

[sully3]

Had he not scored that 180 against Pakistan in the ODI at his home ground Alex Hales international career was done

 

[TeymurBlake]

I think he suits to shorter format alot more. Also at the age he's at its very difficult for him to get back in to the test team. Specially since he plays at No.3-5 for Nottinghamshire.

 

[Hasan123]

Didn't have the technique for test cricket so not surprised at this decision.

 

[Suleiman]

Good decision, test cricket is dying anyway, this is the future.

 

[BunnyRabbit]

Although the decision of Adil Rashid might turn out to be a blunder because he had a real chance of making it to the Test team especially with Moeen struggling big time in his primary bowling role and lack of any proper spin contenders for Tests. Hales' Test career was already over back in 2016.

 

[shah_1]

There are reports of David Willey and Liam Plunkett not wanting to play FC.

Chris Lynn from Australia doesn't want to play first class as well. It's a new trend being set by these cricketers.

 

[jagatk]

Like it or not test cricket is dying, Ind, Aus, Eng, SA, Pak are the only nations that can play monetarily successful test cricket and that too would be only amongst themselves. If cricket wants to survive commonsense dictates that time of death be called on test cricket.

Day-Night Tests, 4 days tests are band aids, people might be curious and go for first few but it doesn't solve the big problem that plagues tests. No one in this day and age has time to watch 5 days of cricket.

 

[Convict]

I would also like to announce that I am turning my back on Australian test selection.

 

[Robert]

It's not as though Hales was likely to play tests again anyway.

A lot of County players will want to get off the treadmill of four day, one day and T20.

 

[Robert]

Although the decision of Adil Rashid might turn out to be a blunder because he had a real chance of making it to the Test team especially with Moeen struggling big time in his primary bowling role and lack of any proper spin contenders for Tests. Hales' Test career was already over back in 2016.

True on Moeen. But Rashid may think Crane is the coming man.

 

[Bhaag Viru Bhaag]

Wrong. First Test Cricket turned its back on Alex Hales then Alex Hales did it on test cricket.

 

[introvert]

Good decision there are batter players in England waiting for their chances.
Hales should focus on becoming more consistent with the bat in odi cricket avrage of 36 at 95 sr doesn't do justice to his talent & bairstow,malan pushing hard for selection.

 

[UN talkz]

Very good decision, he wasn't gonna be selected in Test cricket anytime soon

 

[hadi123]

England's James Anderson says he is "worried" about the future of Test cricket after three internationals signed white ball-only contracts.

Adil Rashid, Alex Hales and Reece Topley announced last month they would not be playing in the 2018 County Championship.

Anderson is concerned the lure of more money will encourage younger players to choose limited-overs cricket.

"I just pray there is enough love for Test cricket out there," he said.

"With the way cricket is going and the amount of Twenty20 cricket around the world, there is that worry that more and more people will start doing it."

The white-ball game is becoming increasingly popular among players because of the lucrative sponsorship deals on offer in the Big Bash and Indian Premier League.

Leg-spinner Rashid will only play white-ball cricket for Yorkshire during the 2018 season, while opener Hales has signed a new limited-overs deal with Nottinghamshire for the next two years.

Hampshire seamer Topley has made the decision as part of his rehabilitation from a recurrence of a stress fracture in his back last summer.

Anderson says Test cricket is adapting with the introduction of pink-ball cricket and day-night Tests, but fears it will not be enough to attract some players in future.

"The next generation of players coming through might see that as a way to go if they want to find a career in cricket," added Anderson, who is fifth on the all-time Test wicket-takers list with 523.

"It's a lot less hours on the field playing, it's a lot easier on the body and the mind, and it potentially could be more [lucrative] in terms of the money they can make around the world."

England beat New Zealand by six wickets on Wednesday to level the one-day series at 1-1 following a three-wicket defeat in the series opener in Hamilton.

Anderson is keen to see the one-day side's positive mentality translate into England's Test cricket following their 4-0 Ashes defeat by Australia.

"We want to try and play with the positivity the one-day side play with," he said.

"In Test cricket, that can be difficult. We want to put the opposition under pressure whenever we get the chance."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricket/43248504

 

[shaz619]

True on Moeen. But Rashid may think Crane is the coming man.

Rashid couldn't displace a part timer as the lead spinner so he made the perfect decision, it's acknowledgement of how inferior he is at the highest level because he knows that the selectors would rather back an A/R or a rookie in a specialist position then put up with him.

 

[MenInG]

Alex Hales suggested that he was open to revising his ‘white ball only’ plan after the 2019 World Cup.

Earlier this year, Alex Hales and Adil Rashid created a flutter by signing ‘white ball only’ deals with their counties – Nottinghamshire and Yorkshire respectively – putting themselves out of contention for selection in the England Test team.

Since then, New Zealand’s Colin Munro has done the same, and Hales explained that as far as he was concerned, the idea was to maximise his potential in the short formats keeping in mind the upcoming ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 and the ICC World Twenty20 2020.

“I always wanted to become the best I could be,” he said as he got ready for Sunrisers Hyderabad’s campaign in the 2018 Indian Premier League, where he has come in as David Warner’s replacement.

“The quality in England is incredible, and there’s only so much you can do as a player to realise your ambitions. I want to play as much as I can, and I see the shorter formats as my best chance to become world-class.”

The opening batsman, who has played 11 Tests, 59 one-day internationals and 52 Twenty20 Internationals over the years, clarified that he wasn’t ruling out a return to red-ball cricket.

“It’s not a long-term view. We’ll see what happens in 18 months, next September. There is the 2019 World Cup at home next year, and then the Twenty20 World Cup in 2020. Let’s see how it goes,” he said. “It’s a completely personal decision. Twenty20 is the format I have enjoyed playing in more. And the next 18 months are more exciting if you are a white-ball player.”

Alex Hales and Adil Rashid have opted out of red-ball cricket for the foreseeable future Alex Hales and Adil Rashid have opted out of red-ball cricket for the foreseeable future

Hales was also upfront in admitting that he found switching between the long format and the shorter ones difficult: “I feel that chopping and changing formats is tough at times. I think I would rather try to become world-class in two of the formats. Red-ball cricket is the pinnacle, I have no doubt about that. But there’s so much cricket around the world, practically every country has a T20 tournament … so it’s about individual choices.”

There remains the possibility that more players could yet opt to specialise in the more lucrative T20 format. Hales saw nothing wrong with that.

“The next 10 years, I see more and more people specialising in white-ball cricket. That’s the way I see it, and I see nothing wrong in that. It raises the standard on the whole,” he said. “If you specialise in one format, players dedicate their practice and training to that format, and getting their focus right. I think it will help all the formats.”

https://www.icc-cricket.com/news/661381

 

[MenInG]

England and Nottinghamshire batsman Alex Hales says he will return to red-ball cricket after the 2019 World Cup.

In February, the 29-year-old signed a deal with Notts to only play limited-overs games until 2019, in a bid to cement his spot in the England team.

"I'm certainly not turning my back on four-day cricket," he said.

"For 18 months I wanted to dedicate all my practice and all my energy to getting as good as I can at white-ball cricket just for the World Cup."

He told BBC Radio Nottingham: "With the busy schedule - you've got the tournaments around the world, the tours with England, the series in the summer and the T20 Blast.

"There's so much cricket now I just want to dedicate every resource of energy and all my practise to trying to get as good as I can at white-ball cricket and cementing that spot for the World Cup.

Opening batsman Hales has just returned from India, where he helped Sunrisers Hyderabad reach the final of the IPL, although he did not feature in the final.

He has also been included in England's squads for their one-day games against Scotland and Australia next month.

Hales was part of the Notts side that dominated domestic limited-overs cricket in 2017, winning both the T20 Blast and the One-Day Cup.

The latter triumph was inspired by his brilliant innings of 187, the highest individual score in a Lord's one-day final.

As well as his 434 runs at 72.33 in the 50-over competition, he made another 507 runs at 33.80 for Notts last season in 20-over cricket - and was then part of the England side that beat Australia 4-1 in the One-Day International series against Australia in January.

"Your dream as a kid is to represent your country in a World Cup," he said.

"The standard of team we've got at the moment is probably as good as it's ever been in the history of English cricket in terms of 50-over cricket.

"I just want to give myself the best possible chance of being in the starting XI come next year.

"I'm on the fringes. Jonny Bairstow's come in and done fantastically well and Jason Roy's one of the most talented cricketers I've ever played with.

"For me, when there's three guys who are vying for two spots, I just want to give myself the best chance to try to have that spot when it comes to this time next year.

"The energy and enthusiasm I've now got turning up to practise and all the matches involving white-ball cricket is the most I've ever had in my career."

https://www.bbc.com/sport/cricket/44315422

 

[shaz619]

You can't just pick and choose when you want to play Test cricket for England, I hope after 2019 the selectors pick someone who has been busting their behind on the domestic circuit rather then this slogger