‘Devastated’ Alex Hales dumped from England World Cup squad ‘in best interests’ of team

Hales was included in the preliminary 15-man party, but last week’s revelation that he had been suspended for an off-field incident not related to cricket put his involvement in considerable doubt.

England say they have “considered what is in the best interests of the team...to ensure they are free from any distractions” in dropping Hales from all squads ahead of the international season.

The 30-year-old is therefore set to miss the one-off one-day international against Ireland in Malahide on Friday and the limited-overs series against Pakistan which follows, as well as the World Cup campaign.

However, Hales’s representatives said in a statement they are “hugely disappointed” by the decision to cast aside Hales, saying the Nottinghamshire opener “took away the message his World Cup place would be judged on playing merit” following discussions with key members of the England and Wales Cricket Board before his suspension became public knowledge.

The statement said: “We are hugely disappointed at the treatment of our client, Alex Hales, by the ECB following his ejection from England’s preliminary World Cup squad.

“Nobody is seeking to excuse Alex’s behaviour in this instance. He absolutely acknowledges and recognises he made a huge mistake. But as part of the ongoing process, both he and his representatives have been involved in many conversations with senior members of the ECB over the past few weeks where Alex has apologised profusely for his actions.”

A few months ago Hales was suspended and fined by the ECB’s Cricket Discipline Commission for his role in the notorious Bristol street brawl, also involving international team-mate Ben Stokes, in September 2017 as well as social media posts.