England batsman Alex Hales has been withdrawn from all England squads ahead of the international season, ECB informed in a statement released on Monday.
The Nottinghamshire batsman is serving a 21-day suspension for an 'off-field' incident reported to involve recreational drug use. Hales will not travel to Ireland for a one-off ODI and has also been removed from England’s squad for the Vitality IT20, the ODI series against Pakistan and the provisional Cricket World Cup squad.
Commenting on the decision, Ashley Giles, ECB Managing Director of England Men’s Cricket, said:
“We have thought long and hard about this decision. We have worked hard to create the right environment around the England team and need to consider what is in the best interests of the team, to ensure they are free from any distractions and able to focus on being successful on the pitch.
“I want to make it clear this is not the end of Alex’s career as an England player. The ECB and the PCA will continue to aid Alex and work alongside his county club Nottinghamshire to give him the support he needs, to help him fulfil his potential as a professional cricketer.”
World Cup squad: Eoin Morgan, Moeen Ali, Jonny Bairstow, Tom Curran, Jos Buttler, Joe Denly, Liam Plunkett, Adil Rashid, Ben Stokes, David Willey, Joe Root, Chris Woakes, Mark Wood, Jason Roy.
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