There had been a lot of speculation regarding the likely future of Alex Hales within the England setup. While some blokes within England said that Hales should be given a prolonged run in test cricket, some felt that the Nottinghamshire opener still wasn’t ready for the longest format. The England selectors, charged up by the team’s recent boost of aggression recently involved Alex Hales in the test squad for the test series against Pakistan in UAE.
Hales’ selection means that Adam Lyth has been finally axed, after a string of dismal scores. Hales, ecstatic after his selection in the test squad looked back on his journey so far. “When I first came on the scene, I tried to play every shot in the book,” Hales says. “Then I had this theory that the England selectors didn’t want players like that at the top of the order so I went into my shell a bit and lost my form at the start of 2013.”
“I spent the winter thinking about what my strengths were and working out that I just needed to give myself a chance and then my natural game could take over,” he says. “In the past, I stayed a bit leg side of the ball which left me playing away from my body outside off stump and a bit vulnerable to the ball that nips back. So I’ve tried to move across to the leg side more and play with my head nearer the ball,” Hales says.
“I’ve still got to stay true to the naturally positive way I play. But you could see in the way the guys played this summer – their ‘no fear’ attitude – that it’s the approach they want these days. It’s just now I give myself more of a chance to play that way by getting myself in first,” says the dynamic England opener.