Alex Hales returns to England team after three years for T20 World Cup

Top order batsman given second chance after Bairstow's injury and Roy's loss of form

Alex Hales has returned to the England team. Getty

England batsman Alex Hales is set to return to the national team after three years as the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) on Wednesday named him in their squad for next month's Twenty20 World Cup in Australia.

Hales last played for England in March 2019 after the 33-year-old was withdrawn from the preliminary 50-overs World Cup squad that year after reports of alleged improper conduct.

While his official ban only totalled 21 days, in line with ECB's policy, Hales was cast out more permanently for what the then one-day captain Eoin Morgan described as a "complete breakdown in trust".

Now, with Morgan retired, Jonny Bairstow sidelined by a freak leg injury and fellow opener Jason Roy dropped due to lack of form, circumstances have contrived to hand Hales a second chance.

Surrey's Will Jacks was positioned as the next man in after being called up for the forthcoming T20 tour of Pakistan, but Hales's experience and wealth on runs on the franchise circuit meant he was picked.

Hales has been prolific in the shortest format, recently becoming the first Englishman to reach 10,000 T20 runs, and also has useful experience in Australia's Big Bash League so knows the tournament pitches well.

England begin their World Cup campaign against Afghanistan on October 22 in Perth.

England squad for T20 World Cup: Jos Buttler (captain), Moeen Ali, Harry Brook, Sam Curran, Alex Hales, Chris Jordan, Liam Livingstone, Dawid Malan, Adil Rashid, Phil Salt, Ben Stokes, Reece Topley, David Willey, Chris Woakes, Mark Wood