England white-ball coach Matthew Mott has insisted the "door is still open" for Alex Hales to be part of his side's 50-over World Cup defence later this year, despite the opener opting to skip the tour of Bangladesh.
The 34-year-old is one of several players in contention for a spot in England's World Cup squad who decided not to go to Bangladesh, with Hales, Sam Billings and Liam Dawson favouring more financially lucrative stints in the Pakistan Super League and David Willey opting to spend time with his family ahead of the Indian Premier League.
Mott says England "won't hold a grudge against anyone who's not taken this opportunity", while also revealing he has held talks with Hales about a potential ODI return ahead of the tournament.
"We certainly spoke to him about it, particularly when he had such a good T20 World Cup, and that door is still open," Mott said. "When we sit down to pick that squad for the World Cup, we won't hold a grudge against anyone who's not taken this opportunity.
"It's an invitation to play and we totally understand if there are other factors at play. Anyone who's playing white-ball cricket well, is in form at the right time, and is someone we think can be good in subcontinental conditions will be in the mix."
Hales was axed by England on the eve of the 2019 World Cup after failing a second recreational drugs test and was exiled from international cricket for more than three years.
He was recalled to the T20 side last year after Jason Roy was dropped and Jonny Bairstow broke his leg and went on to star as England won the T20 World Cup, scoring 212 runs at an average of 42.40.
However, Hales has not played an ODI since March 2019 and his last List A match came in May that same year, with The Hundred meaning most England players no longer play in the domestic One-Day Cup.
And former England quick Steve Harmison does not believe he will feature at the World Cup, telling OnlineCricketBetting: "I'd be very surprised if England brought him back for the 50 over competition, not that he's not good enough, I just think that the ship has well and truly sailed."
