Opener Alex Hales has been dropped from England’s squad for the ICC Men’s World Cup just two days after he was reportedly suspended for 21 days for failing a drug test.
The England and Wales Cricket Board says the decision was based on, “creating the right environment within the team and ensuring that there are no unnecessary distractions.”
“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,” said Ashley Giles, ECB Managing Director of England Men’s Cricket in a statement.
“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 fulfill his potential as a professional cricketer,” he added.
According to the Guardian, Alex Hales is currently serving a 21-day ban after returning a second positive test, having pulled out of Nottinghamshire’s Royal London Cup campaign, just after the World Cup squad was announced, citing undisclosed “personal reasons.”
Hales was found in variance with the England and Wales Cricket Board’s (ECB) recreational drugs policy for the second time in his career. In September 2017, he was fined and suspended as well, for being involved in a street fight outside Bristol nightclub, along with Ben Stokes.
