PAK vs ENG: "Three Years Felt Like Forever": Alex Hales After Scoring Fifty On His Return

Alex Hales, the opening batsman for England, had his first appearance in national colours in three and a half years.

By hitting the game-winning half-century against Pakistan, he successfully established his dominance in the T20I squad.

Tuesday in Karachi, Hales led England to victory by striking an anchor’s fifty on the return. At the time of going out, the batter had scored 53 runs off of 40 balls, creating the perfect situation for Harry Brook to enter the game and hammer Pakistan.

The hitter acknowledged feeling anxious when he was called to bat, but he also claimed it was fantastic to don the England shirt once more.

“Three years felt like forever. To go out and score 50 on my return in a winning team is the stuff dreams are made of” Alex Hales added.

It’s one of the best atmospheres in world cricket: Alex Hales

Hales said that the raw emotion of pulling on the England shirt motivated his performance in the centre, maintaining that the quality of the home assault kept him focused on the task at hand.

But he did admit that his past experiences playing in the Pakistan Super League – one of the franchise competitions that has helped him establish a case for recall in recent years – added an extra element of significance.

“You can’t (allow emotion in), you have to focus on winning a game of cricket against a very skillful bowling attack. You’ve got guys bowling at 150kph, so for me, it was all about getting over the line,” he said.

“But to score 50 and steer us in the right direction meant a lot. This is a place where I’ve spent a lot of time over the last few years, it’s a place that means a lot to me.”

“I’ve played in front of full houses here in Karachi and it’s something different. It’s one of the best atmospheres in world cricket.”

White-ball selectors are facing a major dilemma because Ben Stokes, Jos Buttler, Liam Livingstone, and Chris Jordan are yet to be added to England’s T20 team ahead of the World Cup.

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