Hales is the first England batsman to score a T20I century. He is also the first hitter to be released for 99 in an ODI and a T20I.

Background

Born in Hillingdon, Hales attended both Westbrook Hay School and Chesham High School (now Chesham Grammar School) in Buckinghamshire.

His father Gary broke several local batting records (including 321 not for Gerrards Cross against Chalfont St Peter in a limited overs league game), while his grandfather Dennis was a gifted tennis player who once forced Rod Laver to five sets at Wimbledon.

Domestic Career
Circle Cricket

Hales first came to national attention in 2005 when he hit 55 with a single over (three no-balls, eight sixes, one four-pointer) in a Cricket Idol T20 tournament in Lords 55 as a sixteen-year-old. Ironically, he had been chosen for his fast bowling skills.

Hales first represented Buckinghamshire in Minor Counties cricket in the 2006 season and played for MCC Young Cricketers in the second XI Championship in 2007. He then impressed in a trial with Nottinghamshire in 2007, scoring 218 in just his second appearance for the county, which followed followed up with a hundred and two 95s. Notts offered him a two-year contract through the end of the 2009 season. He made his List A debut in a rain game against Leicestershire in May 2008 and his first-class debut against Somerset in September 2008. The 2009 season saw him sign a new two-year contract extension after an impressive start. On 29 August 2009, Alex scored the highest score in the 2009 Pro40, 150 off 102 balls for Nottinghamshire against Worcestershire at Trent Bridge.

In July 2011, Hales made a century for Nottinghamshire in the county championship, a score which Cricinfo says marked him as "beginning to deserve the attention of English selectors": it was the second century of his top-flight career. He went on to do 184.

In May 2015, Hales hit six straight sixes in two overs on the opening day of the NatWest t20 blast in his 86 not out against Birmingham.

On August 5, 2017, Hales hit 95 of 30 balls against Durham in the T-20 Blast competition.

England

Hales represented England U19s in a series of youth Test matches and ODIs against a touring New Zealand U19 in the summer of 2008 and enjoyed a successful spell averaging 50 in the Tests and over 30 in the ODIs including 3 half centuries. After just one season on circuit, he was called up to a squad for the England Performance Program in winter 09/10. In the summer of 2011 he was selected for the England Lions against Sri Lanka and was selected for all games.

2011–2012 India, West Indies and World T20

After an impressive year at home in Twenty20, he was picked for the England senior team's game against India. He scored a two-ball duck on the debut but in the following series against the West Indies he hit an unbeaten 62 in a 128-run streak with Craig Kieswetter as England won by 10 wickets. Hales retained his spot on the team for the T20 match against India, but only scored 11 runs from 19 balls.

On June 24, 2012, England achieved their most successful chase in Twenty20 internationals. Hales was man of the match after scoring 99 before losing his wicket to a Yorker bowled by Rampaul, the game almost winning. Hales played South Africa in both games and scored 11 points in both innings, although he went undefeated in the second when the game rained. Alex Hales is the only batter to be dismissed for 99 in a T20I inning.

Today Hales is an integral part of the England T20 team and played at the 2012 ICC World Twenty20. England defeated Afghanistan to qualify from the group with Hales eliminated at 31. However, England were knocked out in the next game against India at 80. In the Super 8 stage, Hales again hit well against the West Indies, scoring 68 goals. In that game against the West Indies, he tied with Eoin Morgan for the highest 4th wicket partnership in ICC World T20 history (107). After defeating New Zealand, England lost to Sri Lanka with Hales being sacked for just 3, meaning England are eliminated from the tournament.

2013–2014 New Zealand, Australia and T20 World Cup

Hales played against New Zealand in all three T20 games and now batted with county teammate Michael Lumb. He scored 21, 5 and 80 points. In the third game of the series, where Hales scored 80 points, he participated in a 143 opening partnership with Lumb as England won by 10 wickets. In the back series, Hales made 39 before the final game was abandoned. Hales made 94 in the second game against Australia as he cemented his position at the top of the ICC player rankings. Hales was less effective in the away series in Australia, scoring 22, 16 and 6 points. He was then selected for the Limited Overs Tour of the West Indies where he would also play in his first ODI. However, due to injury, he was only able to play in the T20 series in which he scored 3, 40 and 38 points.

England were drawn into a tough group for the 2014 World T20. Hales made a second ballente in the first game against New Zealand, followed by an unbeaten 116 against Sri Lanka. He was the first Englishman to score a T20I Century. In the same game he tied with Eoin Morgan for the highest 3rd wicket partnership in T20 World Cup history (152). Although Hales scored 38 against South Africa, England lost and were eliminated from the competition. They then suffered a humiliating loss to the Netherlands in their last game, in which Hales scored 12 while England were eliminated for 88.

2014 Sri Lanka and India

Hales retained his place in the team for Peter Moore's first game in charge of the T20 team against Sri Lanka. Although England lost, Hales had the highest score of 66.

Hales made his long-awaited ODI debut in the series against India. He started well, scoring 42 and 40 points in his first two games, although England lost both games. He was only able to score 6 and 4 points in the last two games of the series as England lost the series 3-1. He returned to form in the only T20 match between the two teams, hitting 40 to help England win the game.

He was called up for the series against Sri Lanka but was surprisingly left out for the first two games. He made 27 when he was recalled for the third ODI and batted in the middle order. In the fourth ODI he replaced the suspended captain Alistair Cook at the top of the table but was sacked for a first ballente. He made seven in the final match of the series.

World Cup 2015

Hales was overlooked early in England's World Cup campaign and only featured in the must-win game against Bangladesh. He made 27 as England lost the game to be eliminated from the tournament. He played against Afghanistan in the last game and made 37 as England won the game by nine wickets.

2015 New Zealand

Hales was included in the squad for the five-ODI series at home against New Zealand. He scored 20 goals in the first game but England won by 210 runs. In the second, ODI Hales performed stronger, scoring 54 balls from 49, but England lost in a tight 13-run game. England lost the third ODI by 3 wickets with Hales making 23. In the fourth ODI, Hales scored 67 balls from 38 as England won by seven wickets. In the final game of the series, Hales missed just one, but England won the game by three wickets and the series 3-2. He made 27 as England won the one-off T20 match between the two teams.

2015 Australia

In the only T20 between the two sides, Hales made just three but England won the game by five runs. Hales got off to a poor start in the ODI series, scoring 22 goals in the first game and 18 in the second as England lost both games and lost 2-0 in the series. However, England won the third game, although Hales continued to struggle for form. In game four, Hales was out for a duck, but England chased Australia's 299 aggregate to level the five-game series 2-2. Hale's poor streak ended with a score of 4 in the final game, which England lost to hand the streak to Australia.

2015 Pakistan

Despite being included in the Test squad to face Pakistan, Hales did not play in any Tests. He joined the team for the ODI series and made ten when England lost their opening game. He ended his poor form in the second game of the series, scoring 109 points as England won by 95 runs. He scored 30 points in the next game as England recorded a six-wicket win to take a 2-1 lead in the series. England won the last game of the series, with Hales taking a score of 22 to help England to a 3–1 series win.

2016 South Africa

In the day-long series Pakistan again in the UAE, BBC Sport commentator Jonathan Agnew explained that Hales' off-stump technique was just too fallible, putting his front foot on the middle stump and using a racquet two feet from his body played away. Agnew surmised that Hales could get away with that problem without a slip in 20 and 50 over cricket, but not in Test cricket. In the first three Tests in South Africa, Hales' technique was cruelly exposed by her fast bowling attack. He scored 10 and 26 points in the early Tests, despite England winning the game by 241 runs. In a second high-scoring Test, Hales made 60 in the first innings but was sacked for just five in the second. In the third Test, he was out for one in the first innings as England scored 323. He was out for 18 in the second innings as England secured a seven-wicket win. He struggled again in the last game of the series, and after scoring 15 in the first innings, he was only out for one in the second innings as England went out just 101. Despite the heavy defeat, England won the series 2–1.

However, in the ODI series, Hales returned to his form in spectacular style. He scored 4 consecutive fifties and a century to win Man of the Series. In the first ODI, Hales hit 57 balls from just 47 balls to put the poor Test series behind him. He then scored 99 points in the second ODI, which was just short of his second ODI century. He continued that great form in the third ODI, scoring 65 balls from 73 balls in one loss. In the fourth ODI, he scored another half century and hit 50 balls from 56 in another loss. In the most recent ODI, he finally scored his second and well-deserved ODI century, hitting 112 balls from 128 and finishing the series with 383 total runs and the series' highest run scorer.

In the T20 series, Hales scored 27 points in the first game England lost before scoring 16 points in England's last game before the T20 World Cup, in which England were comprehensively beaten by nine wickets.

T20 World Championship 2016

Hales scored 28 points in England's opening game defeat by the West Indies before scoring 17 points in a historic chase against South Africa. After missing the third game against Afghanistan through injury, Hales returned for the crucial game against Sri Lanka and although he was out for a duck England won the game. He made 20 in the semi-finals against New Zealand as England secured their place in the final, but missed just one against the West Indies as England finished second.

2016 Sri Lanka

Hales retained his place on the test team for the Sri Lanka series, but after much debate by the selectors. He repaid their faith in the first Test at Headingley by scoring 86 points and sharing a hundred-year partnership with Jonny Bairstow when England were in trouble. England won the match by one innings and 88 runs. In the first innings of the second Test he again gave himself a good start of 83 but failed to reach his first Test century. He was out just 11 times in the second innings as England secured a nine-wicket win. In the third and final Test at Lord's, Hales hit just 18 runs in the first innings but made a brilliant 94 in the second innings and was released by Angelo Mathews just six runs short of a roll of honor spot. The third game ended in a draw, with England winning the series 2–0.

Hales only made 4 in the first ODI against Sri Lanka as the game ended in a draw with both teams scoring 286. In the second game he failed to make 133 and was involved in a record-breaking partnership with Jason Roy as England won ten wickets after going 256/0. In the third match, he was out for a duck in a rain-affected match and failed to bat in the fourth match, which England won through injury. The injury ruled him out of the last game of the series, which England won to win the series 3–0.

2016 Pakistan

Hales was out six times in the first innings in the first Test against Pakistan and then went on to make 16 in the second innings as England lost by 75 runs. England won the second Test despite Hales scoring just 34 runs in the match. After scoring 17 in the first innings of the third Test, Hales hit 54 in the second innings to help England turn the game around and win with 141 runs. Hales struggled again in the final Test, scoring just six in England's first innings as they were dismissed for 328 and just 12 in the second innings as England suffered a ten-wicket loss and drew the series 2-2. Hales scored points from seven and 14 in the first two ODIs as England took a 2-0 lead in the series. At the third ODI, Hales achieved his highest-ever individual ODI score of 171 at the third ODI against Pakistan on his home ground at Trent Bridge. The record was previously held by Robin Smith for 23 years. Hales' ton helped England achieve their highest-ever team ODI score in the same game, with England going 444–3, beating Sri Lanka's previous record of 443 in 2006 against the Dutch at Amstelveen. England also won the match by 169 runs to seal the series. In the fourth ODI, Hales made eight as England chased Pakistan's 248 goal to take a 4-0 lead in the series. In the final game, Hales was only able to manage 23 as England lost their first game of the series to end 4-1. Hales, in the only T20I between the two sides, had the highest score for England with 37 points, but England lost by nine wickets.

2017 India

After missing the series against Bangladesh due to safety concerns, Hales played India in the first ODI and made nine in England's 350 total runs, although England lost by three wickets. In the second ODI he made 14 as England lost by 15 runs. An injury ruled Hales out of the rest of the series.

2017 West Indies

Hales missed the first two games against the West Indies through injury but came back in the last game and made 110 while England made 328 and won by 186 runs.

2017 Ireland

Hales hit 55 of 47 balls in the 1st ODI in a modest 127 chase that England equaled in 20 overs and made 32 of 35 balls in the 2nd ODI which England also won by 8 runs.

2017 South Africa

Hales started the ODI series well with 61 balls from 60 in a 72 run for England in the 1st ODI, but was only able to make 24 balls from 28 in the next game and would go on with a 2 ball 1 in the subsequent 3rd ODI, where England was bundled for a poor 153. He made 47 balls from 38 in the first T20 and then wasn't in the squad for the 2nd T20, although he did come back for the 3rd T20 where he scored 36 balls from 28.

Champion Cup 2017

He started the tournament brilliantly with 86 balls and 95 balls, although he missed 100, his good form continued with 56 balls from 62 against New Zealand, however he was bowled for a duck in the last group stage encounter against Australia and was able to make it to the semifinals , which England lost, only make 11 against Pakistan.

Cricket World Cup 2019

In April 2019 he was called up to England's squad for the 2019 Cricket World Cup. However, two days after the England squad was named, Hales did not make himself available for Nottinghamshire's game against Lancashire in the 2019 Royal London One-Day Cup for "personal reasons". Nottinghamshire released a statement on its website saying no timetable had been made for his return to cricket. On April 26, 2019, Hales was confirmed to have failed a drug test for using a recreational drug and had been suspended for 21 days. On 29 April 2019, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) announced that Hales had been dropped from England's provisional World Cup squad and all England squads ahead of the international season. Hales has not been called up for England since that England incident Captain Eoin Morgan said Hales had lost the team's confidence.

Domestic T20 leagues
Indian Premier League

Alex Hales IPL On March 14, 2015, Hales signed for Mumbai Indians for the final game of the regular season and knockout stages, replacing the injured Corey Anderson. However, he ended his short stint without making a single appearance for the team.

After Hales failed to sell at the 2018 IPL auction, it was announced on March 31, 2018 that Hales would join Sunrisers Hyderabad for the 2018 season, replacing David Warner.

Alex Hales IPL 2021 Hales made his IPL debut against Rajasthan Royals on April 29, 2018, scoring 45 runs. Hales again failed to sell at the 2021 IPL auction.

Alex Hales IPL 2022 In February 2022, he was bought by the Kolkata Knight Riders at auction for the 2022 Indian Premier League Tournament.

Big Bash League

Alex Hales BBL Hales has played for Melbourne Renegades, Adelaide Strikers, Hobart Hurricanes and Sydney Thunder. Hales played for Sydney Thunder and finished as the Big Bash League's top scorer in the 2020-21 season.

Other Leagues

Hales was selected by Islamabad United in the 2018 Pakistan Super League Draft. On December 1, 2018, Hales hit a record 87, not just 32 balls playing for Maratha Arabians. On January 25, 2019, Alex hit his first 47-ball BPL century for the Rangpur Riders.

In September 2019 he was called up to the Durban Heat squad for the 2019 Mzansi Super League tournament. In July 2020, he was named to the Barbados Tridents roster for the 2020 Caribbean Premier League. In December 2021, he was signed by Islamabad United under the players' draft for the 2022 Pakistan Super League. On February 15, 2022, he retired from PSL due to bladder fatigue. He made a surprise return to PSL ahead of Islamabad United's first eliminator playoff game against Peshawar Zalmi.

Controversy

In September 2017, Hales was charged by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), along with team-mate Ben Stokes, on charges of discrediting the game. The charges related to an incident that took place outside a Bristol nightclub in September 2017, several hours after England played a one-day international match against the West Indies at the County Ground in the city. Stokes was charged with racketeering over the incident by police and the ECB postponed its disciplinary hearing until the court case was completed.

In December 2018, the Cricket Disciplinary Commission issued a ruling in response to Hales' conduct in Bristol and regarding "inappropriate images". The commission suspended Hales for six white ball matches, two of which were served and the remaining four suspended. Hales was also fined £17,500, of which £10,000 was suspended for 12 months. Hales was also required to complete "appropriate training" at his own expense.

In April 2019, Hales tested positive for a recreational drug while undergoing a hair follicle test. According to a report published by the Guardian, Hales has been banned for 21 days by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) as it was his second offence, along with his removal from England's squad at the 2019 Cricket World Cup and all squads ahead of the international season. Hales' ban followed his withdrawal from Nottinghamshire's Royal London One Day Cup campaign for "personal reasons".