KARACHI
\nIslamabad United\u2019s Alex Hales feels that England\u2019s decision to cancel their tour to Pakistan made \u201czero sense\u201d.
\nIn an exclusive interview with Geo News, the 33-year-old cricketer spoke about the Pakistan Super League (PSL) and his plans.
\nHales is among the 24 English cricketers playing in this year\u2019s PSL.
\nJust three months before this tournament, the England Cricket team had backed out of a short tour to Pakistan.
\nWhen asked what message the presence of English cricketers was sending, the flamboyant batter said that it shows that the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) decision to cancel the tour made no sense.
\n\u201cI think after Pakistan came to England during COVID, helped out the ECB massively, so for them to cancel that tour made zero sense to me whatsoever,\u201d he said.
\n\u201c[It was] only a short tour. So, it didn\u2019t make any sense to me,\u201d Hales added.
\nWhile talking about his experience in Pakistan, the former England opener said that the country is a great place to play cricket.
\n\u201cI\u2019ve been here four or five times now and get looked after really well. Every time we come here, the people are very hospitable and cricket is always really good. The fans here are crazy for it. So, it\u2019s a great place to come and play cricket, I absolutely feel safe,\u201d he told Geo News.
\nHales said that even though he has visited Pakistan several times, he is yet to get the opportunity to explore the country.
\nRead more: England batsman Alex Hales takes break for \u2018personal reasons\u2019
\n\u2018I hold PSL in high regard\u2019
\nThe England batter said the PSL is a great tournament, and he holds it in high regard.
\n\u201cIt\u2019s a tournament that I hold in high regard. The standard of cricket is really good, especially as a batter coming here. The standard of fast bowling is as good as anywhere in the world, you have guys bowling at express pace and more often not good pitches to bat on. So, if you play well you feel like you can score runs but you have to earn those runs,\u201d he said.
\n\u201cIt\u2019s certainly up there in terms of the world tournaments, I\u2019d rank it right up there, close to the IPL and certainly alongside the Big Bash,\u201d he mentioned.
\nHales was part of the Karachi Kings squad that won the PSL in 2020. But in the next season, he was traded to Islamabad United.
\nThe batter appreciated the team\u2019s environment and termed it a significant factor for its success.
\n\u201cI think the environment is probably our main contributing factor to our success over the years. We\u2019ve played some really solid cricket over the last few seasons and a lot of that comes down to a very relaxed environment,\u201d said Hales.
\nThe English batsman said that there is no fear of failure in the United dugout and everyone backs each other.
\n\u201cI think the main thing is having that relaxed environment that allows everyone to thrive under pressure,\u201d Hales said.
\n\u2018Trophies more important than personal goals\u2019
\nReplying to a question, Alex Hales said that he has not set any personal goals and would prefer to win the tournament.
\n\u201cI\u2019d love to be part of a winning team and lift that trophy again. I was lucky to do it with Karachi a couple of years ago and I think winning trophies is more important than personal success,\u201d he said.
\nHales was regarded as one of the best batters in white-ball cricket but last donned England\u2019s colours in 2019 when he was suspended for recreational drugs.
\nHe said missing the World Cup at home was disappointing and frustrating, but there\u2019s nothing much he can do.
\n\u201cI\u2019m just enjoying my cricket a lot more now. I\u2019m into my 30s now so I guess I\u2019ve matured over the last few years away from the game. I feel like I\u2019m playing the best standard of cricket I [have] played in my life and hopefully, I can keep up for the next few years,\u201d Hales said.
\n\u201cI am just enjoying myself and scoring as many runs as possible and that\u2019s the way I\u2019m going to get back into the England squad, just to keep knocking on the door with runs is certainly something I\u2019ve done over the last couple of years. I think my stats are right up there with the best in the world. So, you know, hopefully, that chance comes around again,\u201d he said when asked about his hopes of making a comeback in the England squad.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
KARACHI Islamabad United\u2019s Alex Hales feels that England\u2019s decision to cancel their tour to Pakistan made \u201czero sense\u201d. In an exclusive interview with Geo News, the 33-year-old cricketer spoke about the Pakistan Super League (PSL) and his plans. Hales is among the 24 English cricketers playing in this year\u2019s PSL. Just three months before this […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":241943,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[3580,1336,20,1160],"class_list":{"0":"post-241947","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-sports","8":"tag-alex-hales","9":"tag-england","10":"tag-pakistan","11":"tag-tour"},"yoast_head":"\n