Alex Hales has made a remarkable return to the England team after being named as Jonny Bairstow’s substitute for the T20 World Cup.

The 33-year-old has not played for his national team since failing a recreational drug test in the summer preceding the 2019 World Cup, which resulted in his exclusion from the squad. During his following banishment, captain Eoin Morgan frequently mentioned a “breakdown in trust.”

Morgan’s retirement in April and the passing of the leadership baton to Jos Buttler, Jason Roy’s decline in form, and Bairstow’s bizarre fractured leg suffered while playing golf last week have created a new opportunity.

Hales has remained one of the premier batsmen on the global T20 circuit, and with Rob Key emphasizing that he had “served his time” when he was named director of England cricket in April, he now has a spot at the T20 World Cup in Australia in October.

Though Key attributed Hales’ original omission to cricketing considerations alone – Bairstow was elevated to take the opening slot vacated by Roy, and Lancashire’s Phil Salt was the squad’s spare opener – it was necessary to consult with all parties this week. These discussions resulted in the termination of Hales’ three-year exclusion from the England squad.

Hales has beaten Will Jacks of Surrey and has been added to the T20 squad for the upcoming tour of Pakistan.

This return would be a departure from the Morgan era and a key moment early in Buttler’s captaincy. Chris Woakes, Moeen Ali, Adil Rashid, and Ben Stokes were also consulted at the time. The 31-year-old was among the senior players who supported Morgan’s decision to omit Alex Hales from the 2019 squad.

In the case of Stokes, the return of Hales appears to be an acknowledgment that the two can work together, even though they have grown apart since the 2017 Bristol street brawl that resulted in Stokes being cleared of affray the following summer.

Hales has amassed seven international hundreds, propelled two world record ODI totals, and just surpassed 10,000 career runs in Twenty20 cricket, so the quality of the batsman has hardly been in question during his absence.

In addition to his experience on Australian grounds, he has been a staple in the Big Bash League over the past several years, scoring the most runs in the 2020-21 season.