Alex Hales will make his long-awaited England return in the T20 World Cup as a replacement for the influential Jonny Bairstow, who has been ruled out after suffering a freak injury.
Hales, now aged 33, has not played for England since 2019, having been banned on the eve of their historic one-day Cricket World Cup win after failing a second recreational drugs test. However, a lower leg injury in a freak golfing accident has ruled Bairstow out of the upcoming T20 World Cup.
Hales has been called up for England on Wednesday ahead of a T20 series in Pakistan later this month and October's World Cup in Australia.
