"Halestorms gonna be severely missed" - Fans react as Alex Hales retires from international cricket

England batter Alex Hales announced his retirement from international cricket on Friday, August 4, drawing the curtain on his 12-year career. The 34-year-old played 11 Tests, 70 ODIs, and 75 T20Is.

The right-handed opener was dropped from the English squad after the 2019 ODI World Cup following news of a failed recreational drugs test that broke a month before the tournament. He spent nearly three years in exile before replacing Jonny Bairstow for the 2022 T20 World Cup, guiding England to the championship title.

In the tournament, Hales amassed 204 runs in seven games at a strike rate of 147.22, including two half-centuries with the best score of an unbeaten 86 off 47 balls against India in the semi-finals.

Hales was also fined and suspended for his involvement in a nightclub altercation with teammate Ben Stokes, now England Test captain, in 2017.

In an Instagram post on Friday, Hales wrote:

"I have decided to retire from international cricket. It has been an absolute privilege to have represented my country on 156 occasions across all three formats. I've made some memories and some friendships to last a lifetime, and I feel that now is the right time to move on.”

He continued:

“Throughout my time in an England shirt, I’ve experienced some of the highest highs as well as some of the lowest lows. It’s been an incredible journey, and I feel very content that my last game for England was winning a World Cup final.”

Hales added:

“Throughout the ups and downs I’ve always felt a huge amount of support from my friends, family and undoubtedly the best fans in world cricket.”

Fans on Twitter lauded Hales for his illustrious career. One user tweeted:

"Happy retirement Hales Storm, 1.4 billion people won't forget this hammering."

Here are some of the other best Twitter reactions:

Hales represented England in 156 games amassing 5066 runs, including seven tons and 29 half-centuries.

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Alex Hales to continue playing franchise and domestic cricket

Alex Hales, meanwhile, confirmed that he will continue to play in domestic and franchise cricket. The Nottinghamshire player wrote on Instagram:

“I look forward to continuing to play for Notts and experiencing more franchise cricket around the world.”

Alex Hales has so far played six IPL games, scoring 148 runs at a strike rate of 125.42. He also plays in the Big Bash League, the Caribbean Premier League, The Hundred, among others.

Hales is currently representing The Trent Rockets in The Hundred 2023.