Alex Hales celebrated the end of his international exile with a crucial half-century as England’s first match in Pakistan for almost 17 years ended with victory in the first Twenty20. The opener cracked 53 in 40 balls on his first England outing since March 2019, when he was jettisoned in the aftermath of a failed recreational drugs test, and marked the end of his spell in the wilderness by leading the way in a six-wicket success.
England had earlier done well to restrict the hosts to 158 for seven in front of a sell-out 35,000 crowd at Karachi’s National Stadium, with debutant Luke Wood claiming an impressive three for 24. Hales, back in his old opening slot, took his team within 17 of the winning line and hit seven boundaries before chipping to mid-off with the end in sight. Harry Brook finished the job with a fluent 42 not out, including the winning four in the final over.
The series, which is set to be exciting, historic and should provide both sides with strong preparation for next month’s World Cup, continues on Thursday with the second of seven matches.
