Hales not thinking about playing ODI World Cup in India next year

Hales is now primarily a one format player and has last played first class cricket in 2018. He believes that quitting red ball cricket has helped him improve his T20 game as it’s no longer feasible to play all formats.

File image of Alex Hales | Photo Credit: Getty Images

It has been a second coming in international cricket for Alex Hales and in this phase his focus will be on playing T20Is for England and franchise cricket across the world.

Hales was one of England’s heroes in the recently-held T20 World Cup and played a blazing knock against India in the semi-finals.

Asked if he will now see himself also playing 50 over cricket considering there is a World Cup in India next year, he emphasized that his focus is the shortest format.

“I don’t know but I think going forward I would concentrate on playing T20Is for England and franchise cricket. I haven’t put much thought into ODIs,” Hales told PTI during a zoom interaction arranged by Team Abu Dhabi which will take part in the T10 league in the Emirates.

Hales believes that playing in Asia, especially in the UAE, had given him a chance to improve his overall game against spin.

“On the subcontinent, pitches more often not tend to have a bias towards spin and you have to make sure you adapt your methods. And I think that’s one of the key things as a franchise cricketer.

“As you’re playing tournaments in different countries and conditions all year round, so you have to keep topping up on certain areas of your game all the time, otherwise you soon get found out,” he explained the reason behind picking the T10 league.

Team Abu Dhabi will open its campaign in Abu Dhabi T10 against the Deccan Gladiators in the second game on November 23.

Among the most destructive batters in world cricket currently, Hales’ life in the fast lane has been a storied one. But, whenever, Hales has picked up his bat and walked out, he has provided ample evidence of his explosive abilities, which he hopes to replicate in the Abu Dhabi T10.

Hales is now primarily a one format player and has last played first class cricket in 2018. He believes that quitting red ball cricket has helped him improve his T20 game as it’s no longer feasible to play all formats.

“I think it’s exceptionally difficult to play all three formats at the top level. I think there’s only a handful of cricketers who are probably good enough to excel at all three,” he said.

Hales believe in future all three formats will have specialists.

“Since I gave up the red ball format in 2018, my T20 game has improved a lot and quickly as well. And the way things are going, I think it will see more and more specialists in each format,” he signed off.