Bureau Report
Karachi: England limited-overs skipper Eoin Morgan has once again dashed the hopes of Alex Hales’ possible return to the squad.
The 34-year-old Morgan stated that the team’s top-order is well settled particularly the top three batters.
“Our position on Alex still remains the same. He’s out of the squad. The squad is very strong at the moment,” he said.
“You look at the strength of our squad at the moment and the areas that we’re trying to improve one area we don’t struggle for players, it’s probably in the top three.”
“He’s not in the squad and the squad is very difficult to get back into. The player that he is has never been in doubt. Could he return ahead of the World Cup? Only time will tell. But time is a great healer,” Morgan said about Hales, who was dropped in before 2019 World Cup for failing a second test for drug use.
Meanwhile, Morgan did accept that Hales could be invited to training sessions during the English summer, but admitted the pair had yet to speak.
“Last summer, we weren’t able to do that. This summer it’s looking like restrictions and our bubbles will be a little bit more relaxed, depending on vaccinations and spikes and all that sort of thing. But it could present an opportunity to have Alex in and around. We haven’t spoken yet,” he added.
Hales, since his axing from the English side, has been very active in playing franchise T20 leagues across the world.
