Alex Hales hopes moving down order will boost England Test chances
Friday 31 March 2017 18:31, UK
Alex Hales hopes that moving down the order at Nottinghamshire will boost his chances of earning an England Test recall.
The 28-year-old remains a first-choice selection as opener in white-ball cricket for England, but after missing the tour of Bangladesh because of security concerns has been overtaken by Haseeb Hameed and Keaton Jennings in the five-day stakes to open alongside Alastair Cook, with Hales averaging just 27.28 from 21 Test innings.
"I've had a taste of international cricket at the top of the order, and it didn't go as well as I'd hoped," said Hales, who had a top score of 94 among five Test half-centuries last year.
"It did nearly work. But when I was out there I felt like I was fighting my natural way of playing - and I don't think you can afford to do that at the top level. You have to go out there and play how you want to play.
"I feel this is a new leaf, a new challenge, and I'm a lot more comfortable."
After an off-season chat with Nottinghamshire's new head coach Peter Moores, Hales has decided to bat at No 4 in Division Two of the Specsavers County Championship.
"I think batting in the middle is more suited to my attacking style," said Hales. "It will allow me to play my natural game. Mooresy was very keen for it; we both agreed.
"The early stage of my career has almost been going against what I've wanted to do," he added. "Now is the perfect chance - I'm 28 now, not getting any younger - to give it a proper crack where I think I'm best suited to bat."
Hales will begin his new domestic challenge while several England team-mates fly to the Indian Premier League.
"Obviously if I'd been picked up in the IPL auction, I'd have gone," said Hales. "But when one door shuts another opens, and this is my chance to push a case for a Test recall."
He hopes the selectors do not overlook Division Two runs, adding: "You've still got to score them. Doing that against the red ball in April in England is a challenge, whatever the standard.
"It's up to me now to put as many on the board as I can, and keep knocking on the door."
