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Playing their 100th ODI, Afghanistan huffed and puffed to a total of 182, which wasn’t quite enough despite Rashid Khan picking up three wickets

The Report by Sruthi Ravindranath29-Aug-2018Getty Images

“Maybe their batting is not quite as strong as it has been recently, so as bowlers we’ve got to help the batters out and try and restrict them to as few as we can,” Tim Murtagh, the Ireland fast bowler, had said after collecting figures of 4 for 31 during his side’s loss to Afghanistan in the first ODI.Those were his career-best figures, and just 48 hours later Murtagh bettered them, picking up 4 for 30 as he, along with the rest of the Ireland pace attack, scythed through the Afghanistan line-up, before Andy Balbirnie and Simi Singh stitched together a crucial partnership to set up a series-levelling three-wicket win, consigning the visitors to their first loss of this tour. Opting to bat first in their 100th ODI game, Afghanistan slumped to 16 for 4 before finding some respite via their middle and lower order to finally post 182 for 9.Murtagh was scathing with the new ball, snuffing out Afghanistan’s top three in his first three overs. He pinned Mohammad Shahzad in front with an inswinger, the same method he used in his second over to remove Hazratullah Zazai’s middle stump. An edgy Gulbadin Naib became Murtagh’s second lbw victim in his third over. When a direct hit from Andy Balbirnie ran Hashmatullah Shahidi out in the ninth over, Afghanistan were in all sorts of strife.The onus was on captain Asghar Afghan and Rahmat Shah to pull things back, and they did just exactly that. The duo took their time, scoring only 20 off the first nine overs of their partnership, and enjoyed some luck too, with Simi dropping Rahmat at midwicket when he was on 4.While the pacers benefited from favourable conditions and bowled with discipline, the spinners did their bit as well to keep Afghanistan quiet. Offspinner Simi accounted for Rahmat, ending a fifth-wicket stand that had consumed 18.2 overs. Mohammad Nabi, playing his 100th ODI, began briskly, but was out for 13 off 12 balls when he slashed Peter Chase to third man. It was a well-deserved wicket for Chase, who hit the deck hard, and caused some discomfort with his short ball.Afghan fell 4.4 overs later, Paul Stirling running him out with a direct hit at the bowler’s end. He had made 39 off 82 balls. At this point, Afghanistan had nearly 16 overs to bat out with only three wickets in hand, and Najibullah Zadran and Rashid Khan at the crease.They added 29 before Murtagh returned to dismiss the scratchy Rashid. Najibullah stepped up his scoring rate, hitting Kevin O’Brien for a four and a six in successive overs from the medium-pacer before holing out looking for a repeat of his pulled six. He had made 42 off 52 balls.With 3.3 overs remaining, Afghanistan were in danger of being bowled out, but their tenth-wicket pair of Mujeeb ur Rahman and Aftab Alam managed to bat through till the end of the 50th over, finding the boundary twice each while adding an unbroken 22.In the first over of Ireland’s chase, Mujeeb came round the wicket to dismiss captain William Porterfield in the first over with a ball that kept low. But the second-wicket pair of Paul Stirling and Balbirne stepped up and stitched together a 69-run stand, even as Afghanistan bowled a spinner and a seamer in tandem until the 15th over in a bid to choke the batsmen. Afghanistan finally got their breakthrough in the 17th over, when Nabi had Stirling stumped on 39.With Balbirne in fluent form, Ireland had the upper hand in most parts of their chase, except when they lost three quick wickets to spin in a space of eight overs and found themselves 97 for 4. While Mujeeb teased the batsmen with the carom ball, Rashid unleashed his googly, one of which foxed Kevin O’Brien and had him lbw in the 25th over.Balbirnie was still there, pulling and sweeping with power. His partnership with Simi was the highlight of the chase, the duo playing patiently against the spinners and making most of their runs via swift running between wickets. With Balbirnie set at one end, Simi was able to take hise time to settle in. During an attempt to take a quick single in the 35th over, Balbirnie slipped near the crease and landed on his elbow, and called for the physio to have a look. Two balls later, he fell to a stunning catch by Najibullah when he edged Rashid to slip. With 39 required with five wickets in hand, Afghanistan sensed a bit of an opening.Gary Wilson and Andy McBrine fell soon afterwards, leaving Ireland 164 for 7 in the 41st over. Simi was the key man now, and he was playing the spinners with ease. He just needed someone to stay with him, and it was Murtagh, fittingly, who kept him company, the eighth-wicket pair seeing Ireland home with an unbroken 19-run stand in 21 balls.The deciding ODI – the last match of Afghanistan’s tour – will be played at the same venue on Friday.

Ben Stokes’ trial resumes at Bristol Crown Court on Monday. ESPNcricinfo gives a run-down on the first week’s developments

ESPNcricinfo staff12-Aug-20181:16

‘Everything I did was in defence of myself and others’, Stokes tells jury

Day one

The trial of Ben Stokes, Ryan Ali and Ryan Hale – all three charged with affray which they denied – began with jurors being told the England allrounder acted “well beyond self-defence or the defence of others” when knocking two men unconscious outside Mbargo nightclub in Bristol in the early hours of September 25 last year.It is alleged that Stokes offered £300 to the bouncer outside Mbargo, Andrew Cunningham, to try and regain entry after the 2pm closing time. When that offer was declined, Stokes is alleged to have become abusive to the doorman and then mimicked and mocked a young gay couple, Kai Barry and William O’Connor, who were leaving the club. He is alleged to have flicked a cigarette butt at the head of one of the young men.

Day Two

CCTV footage from outside Mbargo nightclub is shown to the jury. Andrew Cunningham, the bouncer, alleges that Stokes abused him and the gay couple.Max Wilson, a student in the Clifton Triangle area of the city when the incident occurred, who filmed the incident from his room, described the fight involving the three defendants plus Stokes’ England team-mate Alex Hales, who was not on trial, as being like “football hooligans”.Audio from the footage suggests Hales tried to pull Stokes away from the fray on several occasions – he is repeatedly heard shouting “Stop, Stokes! No! Enough!” – with both Wilson and other witnesses agreeing he was “trying to stop him [Stokes]”.PC Daniel Adams, the officer in the case, says that the video shows Hales kicking Ryan Ali in the head as he lay on the pavement.Under cross-examination, PC Adams agreed that both Ali and Hale had bottles at the time of the original fracas and accepted it appeared that Ali had used his “to aim a blow at Mr Barry”.A court sketch of Ben Stokes•PA Photos

Ben Stokes was described as the “main aggressor” in the fight when he is identified by Mark Spure, an off-duty member of the police force.The court also hears details of the injuries sustained by Ryan Ali and Ryan Hale.Stokes’ statement to the police, which he gave on November 20, is read out to the court in which he says he felt “under threat of immediate attack” and others involved in the fight had “demonstrated a willingness to use weapons in attacking people”. He claims he was protecting Kai Barry and William O’Connor from homophobic abuse.”What Ryan Ali and Ryan Hale were saying was far from harmless banter, it was nasty homophobic abuse,” Stokes said in his statement.”I decided to intervene and asked Ryan Ali and Ryan Hale to stop abusing Kai and William. I said something like ‘leave it out – you shouldn’t be taking the piss because they’re gay.'”In response,one of the guys said ‘Shut the f*** up and f**** off or I’ll bottle you’. At the time he was holding a bottle in his right hand.The CCTV footage from outside Mbargo nightclub is released, as are the mobile-phone recordings of the fight itself.

The judge instructs the jury to find Ryan Hale not guilty of affray due to lack of evidence. Ben Stokes enters the dock for the first time.Earlier, the court is read Hale’s statement, which he gave to police in September. In it, he claims that Stokes “could have killed me. The way he was acting in that video, he could have beat the living hell out of me. That’s quite shocking to think I’ve been put in that situation.”In the witness stand, Stokes tells the jury he “stepped in” after hearing homophobic abuse towards William O’Connor and Kai Barry. He adds he saw Ali brandish a bottle towards the two men and Alex Hales so “took the decision” to get involved to “keep myself and others around me safe”.Police bodycam footage is played to the jury of the moment of Stokes’ arrest. It shows him asking for the handcuffs to be loosened due to previous injuries to his hand and also hears him tell Hales to leave the area. “I was saying ‘It’s on me’. I was saying ‘Go, get away from here. Don’t get involved’.” The footage also shows Hales telling police he only arrived on the scene after the fight had taken place.

Stokes continues to be cross-examined. He is accused of lying to the jury, and also of exaggerating the extent of an argument he witnessed “in an attempt to justify your own violent behaviour”.A written statement from England team-mate Jake Ball is read to the court in which he says Stokes was in a “good mood” during the night in question and that he wasn’t drunk.The final session of the week sees Ryan Ali, Stokes’ co-defendant, take the stand. Under cross-examination Ali accepts that footage shows he struck another man with a bottle before being punched by Stokes. Ali says he only did it to defend himself.The trial continues.

Denly and Adam Riley took eight wickets between them before Kent reached their target with nine overs to spare

ECB Reporters Network01-Sep-2018
ScorecardJoe Denly made a late entrance to record his best first-class figures as Kent moved into the promotion places with a six wicket win over Derbyshire in the Division Two match at Derby.Denly was of the field for most of the final morning through illness but took the last four wickets to finish with 4 for 36 to bowl Derbyshire out for 270 with Harvey Hosein top-scoring with an unbeaten 66.That left Kent with a target of 110 and although they lost wickets with the finish in sight, a 23-point victory took them above Sussex into second place.Derbyshire began the day 78 runs behind and Matt Henry struck early by finding just enough away movement to have Alex Hughes caught behind and become the second bowler to take 50 Championship wickets this season.Tom Lace had shown good technique and temperament in both innings on his first-class debut and was looking secure until a change of bowling gave Kent another success.Grant Stewart’s second ball beat Lace’s forward push and took the top of off stump to dismiss the 20-year-old for 43.Kent struck again in the next over when Matt Critchley edged Adam Riley and the ball stuck between the knees of Billings as he dived forward.Sean Ervine drove Stewart through the covers for four but became another victim for Riley in the 53rd over when the ball hit the back of his bat via pad and looped to silly point.At 137 for 6, an early finish beckoned but Hosein and Hardus Viljoen took the game into the afternoon and ensured Kent would have to bat again.The pair survived for another eight overs after the interval until Viljoen sliced Denly to point but Palladino joined Hosein to force Billings to take the second new ball.Kent’s frustration increased when Riley put down a head high chance to gully with Hosein on 44 and he reached his 50 in the same over by driving Stewart for his seventh four.Denly broke the stand when Palladino was lbw to one that kept low two overs before tea and the leg-spinner quickly wrapped up the innings after the interval leaving Kent 28 overs to knock off the runs.Sean Dickson showed his dismay at being given out caught behind off Lockie Ferguson in the fifth over but Zak Crawley and Heino Kuhn added 57 in six overs before Crawley edged Hamidullah Qadri to slip.Kuhn sliced Critchley to point and Denly gave Qadri a return catch but Kent survived the late drama to secure a fourth away win.

The Bangladesh allrounder is currently recovering from a long-standing finger injury, which got worse due to an infection during the Asia Cup

Mohammad Isam31-Oct-2018The BCB has granted Shakib Al Hasan an NOC to participate in the UAE T20x tournament, meaning he will join the likes of Steven Smith, who is currently into the seventh month of a one-year ban handed to him by Cricket Australia for his part in the Newlands ball-tampering incident, Andre Russell and Shahid Afridi.Shakib, who is recovering from injury, is set to play in the tournament from December 23, a day after the end of West Indies’ tour of Bangladesh, to January 1 next year. The UAE T20x league runs from December 19 to January 11, clashing with the Bangladesh Premier League.Shakib is currently undergoing rehab for a long-standing finger injury, which got worse due to an infection during the Asia Cup. He underwent an emergency operation in Dhaka before heading to Australia for a further check-up. He came back to Bangladesh earlier this month and said that his return to competitive cricket depended largely on how quickly the infection was completely removed, suggesting he may be back for Bangladesh’s home series against West Indies, which begins with the first Test from November 22.”The physio and I have decided not to put a time frame for my return,” he said. “Possibly I will start training shortly. I have to start strength training from next week. When I will start improving gradually, and I will see that I don’t have problems in playing, I can think of returning to action. Until then, I wouldn’t want to return, neither the physio will let me.”Shakib said that the UAE stint could give him some match practice in his comeback bid. “It will be good preparation for me if I can be fit for these matches,” he said. I need these matches to get back from a major injury and into full rhythm.”GMT 10.30 The story had earlier erroneously stated that the UAE T20x league runs from December 23 to January 1.The error has been rectified.

England need to savour the experience of Stuart Broad and James Anderson for as long as they can, says captain

ESPNcricinfo staff22-Nov-2018Joe Root insists that England need to savour the experience and expertise of Stuart Broad and James Anderson for as long as they can, despite both of his senior seam bowlers enduring frustrating series in an otherwise triumphant tour of Sri Lanka.Broad is set to make his first appearance of the series in the third Test at Colombo, having missed out in Galle and Pallekele to make room for the extra spinner in Jack Leach.He will replace Anderson, who struck with his second ball at Galle to remove Dimuth Karunaratne for a duck, but subsequently admitted to feeling like a “spare part” as he failed to add to that tally in 40 subsequent overs across four innings.However, with a combined tally of 998 Test wickets in careers that stretch back to 2003 and 2007 respectively, Root was grateful for the wisdom they had been able to impart behind the scenes, and was adamant that both men still had a huge role to play when the conditions return to their favour.”It’s a great luxury to have isn’t it?” Root said. “For that amount of experience to be around the squad and offering so much to the group has been excellent.”We’ve played in conditions where we’ve not needed that much seam bowling in the middle but [Broad’s] been raring to go and doing everything he can. He’s got the opportunity to play this week and I’m sure he’ll be desperate to put in a really strong performance and show he’s very skilful in these conditions.”Of the two veterans, Broad is the one whose long-term future has come under the greater scrutiny in recent months. He endured a lean Ashes series after encountering some issues with his wrist position, and though he rediscovered his form for the English season, his haul of 16 wickets at 29.68 still paled compared to Anderson’s 24 at 18.12.But Root is adamant that Broad remains integral to their Test plans in the coming months, which include a tour of the Caribbean in the new year and a home Ashes campaign in the English summer, in which England hope to keep pressing towards their stated aim of becoming the No.1 Test team in the world.Stuart Broad and James Anderson chat with coach Trevor Bayliss•AFP

“You look at the experience he can bring to the team and his record in English conditions, and what he’s capable of there, and he’s invaluable,” said Root. “He’s still one of England’s best bowlers – I genuinely believe that – but we’ve had to be quite cute and smart about exploiting these conditions here and we’ll have to do the same later on in the winter in the West Indies.”I’m very aware how talented the group is and how talented our two senior guys are. We generally get very excited about wishing people into retirement and I think with those two in particular, we have to make the most of them while we can, be smart about managing and see how long they can go for.”They both look on top of their game at the moment, if you ask me. They’re both bowling fantastically well and keep looking to improve and get better. As far as I’m concerned I want to get the most out of them for as long as we can.”In spite of the lack of impact for England’s seamers in this series – a record 38 wickets fell to spin in the Pallekele Test – Root praised their efforts regardless, particularly the manner in which they had held Sri Lanka’s run rates in check to allow their trio of spinners to turn the screw.”Our seamers have done a fantastic job when they’ve had the opportunity to play,” he said. “Look at Jimmy and the spells that he’s bowled: he’s built and created a lot of pressure. And that sometimes has got rewards at the other end.”It can be overlooked on occasions. Stuart is more than capable of doing that and we know if we can take two or three early wickets on unresponsive wickets for seam bowling, it’ll be a massive bonus, which, again, you’d like to think he’ll be able to do. It’s a great opportunity for him to play this game. And hopefully he can do some damage.”Root added that there was a further reason for England to be grateful for the endurance of their veteran quicks. With the twin demands of the Ashes and World Cup next summer, two huge events that are sure to stretch their multi-format players to the limit, having two senior Test specialists waiting in the wings to hit the ground running for the Ashes in August could be invaluable.”I think it’s going to be the case for us and Australia going through that World Cup, making sure the guys are fresh and prepared,” Root said. “It’ll be interesting to see which sides are selected for that World Cup, especially in Australia’s case leading into it. It’s a long time away.”We’ve a lot of cricket to play before then. But look where we’re at in the Test team: there are still some Test specialists in there who will make sure they get some good first-class cricket in and game time under their belts ahead of that series. I feel like we’ve a good handle on things at the moment. And hopefully everyone is in a really good position going into the start of the year.”

Glenn Maxwell and Cameron White also piled on the misery for Western Australia at the MCG

ESPNcricinfo staff07-Dec-2018Nic Maddinson marked his first Sheffield Shield match for Victoria with a fine unbeaten century to help the home side into a strong position against Western Australia at the MCG.Maddinson lost his contract with New South Wales at the end of last season and moved to Victoria for fresh opportunities. He played in the JLT Cup but had to bide his time in Premier and Futures League cricket before getting an opportunity at Shield level in the absence of Test players Marcus Harris, Aaron Finch and Peter Handscomb.Maddinson’s ninth first-class century came off 155 balls and he combined in a 112-run third-wicket partnership with Glenn Maxwell.ALSO READ: Queensland go from 1 for 42 to 8 for 86 against TasmaniaMaddinson did get a life on 92 that bizarrely ended Maxwell’s innings on 57. Matt Kelly dropped a return catch but the ricochet bounced onto the stumps at the non-striker’s end where Maxwell was run-out, unluckily short of safe ground.Cameron White picked up the slack as he and Maddinson put on an unbeaten 134-run stand to take Victoria comfortably through to stumps. White moved easily to 65 not out feasting on a pretty inexperienced attack. Maddinson showed immense maturity to bat through the day, facing 282 balls for 21 fours and two sixes.ALSO READ: Carey, Cooper fifties floor New South WalesEarlier, newly-minted Victorian skipper Travis Dean fell for 16 but did play a part in an important 62-run opening stand after winning the toss. Young batting prodigy Will Pucovski missed out on his return from mental-health issues, chasing a wide one to be dismissed for 1.The Warriors’ attack strangely didn’t feature Ashton Agar, who was on Australia’s last Test tour as the back-up spinner. He’s played just four games of cricket since early September but the team opted to rest him ahead of the Big Bash League, which begins in late December.

Follow ESPNcricinfo’s live blog of the Ranji Trophy

Saurabh Somani21-Dec-2018Follow ESPNcricinfo’s live blog of the Ranji Trophy. If you don’t see the blog immediately below, please refresh the page.

The wicketkeeper is suffering from an injured groin while the captain has decided to take some time off

Liam Brickhill01-Feb-2019Quinton de Kock has been ruled out of the three-match T20I series against Pakistan. The wicketkeeper batsman sustained a groin injury during the fifth ODI against Pakistan, and will need a period of treatment and rehabilitation to make a full recovery. Cape Cobras’ Janneman Malan has been called up as replacement. Also, at the end of the first T20I, captain Faf du Plessis announced that he would rest for the remainder of the series.”Quinton sustained an injury to his left groin while fielding during the last ODI on Wednesday,” South Africa team manager Dr Mohammed Moosajee said. “He will be unable to take part in the T20I series against Pakistan and we are hopeful he will be fit for selection for the Test series against Sri Lanka starting in Durban on February 13.”As a top-order batsman, Malan has already built a healthy reputation across formats for Cape Cobras in franchise cricket and Cape Town Blitz in the Mzansi Super League. He formed a potent opening partnership with de Kock in the MSL, scoring 305 runs in the tournament, including two fifties, as Blitz reached the final.Malan, 22, is the youngest of three cricket-playing brothers and is not the first to be included in a South Africa squad. His oldest brother Pieter was called up to the Test squad in the New Year as injury cover for Aiden Markram, though he did not manage to debut. Middle sibling Andre plies his trade for Western Province in Cricket South Africa’s provincial league.”Janneman was one of the standout players during the Mzansi Super League and has been putting in the runs consistently at franchise level,” Selection Convener Linda Zondi said. “He is an exciting young prospect, this is a great opportunity for us to continue blooding players at international level.”

Tamim Iqbal hammered a run-a-ball century but Bangladesh collapsed around him and New Zealand’s openers were in control at stumps

Mohammad Isam in Hamilton27-Feb-2019Neil Wagner upset Bangladesh’s rhythm with a trademark short ball barrage as they were bowled out for 234, after being 121 for 1 shortly before lunch on the opening day in Hamilton, undoing the good work of a blazing century from Tamim Iqbal.Wagner finished with 5 for 47, his sixth five-wicket haul in Tests, before New Zealand consolidated their position with by reaching 86 without loss at the close. Jeet Raval, still searching for a maiden Test hundred, was unbeaten on 51 alongside Tom Latham who should have fallen in the second over as a maiden wicket for paceman Ebadot Hossain only for Soumya Sarker to drop a simple chance at second slip. Bangladesh finished the day in lethargic fashion with a number of misfields.Tamim Iqbal attacks the bowling•Getty Images

It had all looked so much brighter for them after being put into bat on a well-grassed surface as Tamim flayed the new ball around Seddon Park during his ninth Test hundred. He hammered 15 fours in the morning session – for a while it appeared possible he would reach a century before lunch – and brought up his hundred off 100 deliveries early in the afternoon.However, it quickly became a lone hand as Wagner and Tim Southee shared eight wickets. Wagner’s haul began with the wicket of Mominul Haque who tickled a short ball down the leg side to wicketkeeper BJ Watling just before lunch. Soon after the break, Mohammad Mithun and Mahmudullah top edged Wagner although both shots looked avoidable in the circumstances.Mehidy gave short leg a simple catch, also off Wagner, while Soumya Sarkar also fell to the shorter length, when he was unable to move his gloves away from a Southee delivery.

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Followers in the United States can watch New Zealand v Bangladesh live on ESPN+

Wagner’s five-for was completed when Abu Jayed tried to ramp him and had Liton Das caught at fine leg. His short-ball approach is one of the most telegraphed in the world yet still so many teams have struggled to combat it.Southee finished with three wickets while Trent Boult had given New Zealand their first wicket, that of Shadman Islam, who impressed against the new ball before playing across a full delivery, after he and Tamim had provided Bangladesh a fine start with a 57-run opening stand.Tamim was the enforcer and the guiding force. He struck plenty of drives down the ground and also through the covers, while remaining steadfast against the short ball. He struck 21 fours and a six in his 126 off 128 balls, lasting just over three hours in which Bangladesh looked in better control.Unlike some of his team-mates, for the majority of his innings he wasn’t reckless. Knowing full well that being adventurous may cost his side heavily, he curbed his strokeplay to get to lunch first before branching out again either side of his century which included taking 14 off Southee in the space of four deliveries.New Zealand tried to pray on his attacking instincts, pitching the ball well outside off, and the plan worked when Tamin cut a short, wide delivery from Colin de Grandhomme – who he had previously been keen to mow down the ground – straight to Kane Williamson at gully. Tamim threw his head back in disgust, knowing that his team needed even more from him.With their talisman gone there wasn’t much else offered by Bangladesh although stand-in captain Mahmudullah could have provided more than the top edge to long leg having played himself in with some compact drives.In New Zealand’s reply, Raval did most of the early scoring with his three boundaries in Ebadot’s fifth over, to dent the promising start from the debutant, before he took on the part-timer Soumya and Bangladesh’s lone spinner Mehidy Hasan Miraz. Latham, who enjoyed a prolific series against Sri Lanka earlier this season, then found his stride and pull Mehidy for six as the shadows lengthened. By the close, it already looked a tough situation for Bangladesh to recover from.

England batsman seeks redemption during this year’s World Cup, after losing his starting place in ODI team

David Hopps03-Apr-2019For a man who has put what should be the climax to his career at risk with a night of madness, Alex Hales was looking remarkably chipper. Anticipation of a World Cup in England this summer has left him bursting with vigour and optimism. All he needs now is a chance to show his worth.Hales’ cricket suspension for bringing the game into disrepute, arising from his involvement alongside Ben Stokes in that fateful 2.30am street fight after leaving Mbargo nightclub in Bristol, is now well behind him. Unlike Stokes, who was later cleared in court of affray, he was not charged, but also unlike Stokes he has not regained a permanent place in England’s one-day side. That is not because of lingering resentment, just the way things turn out.He has spoken to for the first time about that night and now, understandably, wants to move on. “Sometimes I make mediocre decisions – I always have – but I don’t want to make them anymore,” he said. He referred to “learning the incredibly hard way”.Perhaps unknowingly, he even found himself quoting the billionaire American businessman Warren Buffett in his acknowledgement of his mistakes. Buffett warned that it took 20 years to build a reputation and five minutes to ruin it. Hales who is considerably younger and not quite worth $84 billion, adjusted that to 10 years and 10 minutes. But the message was the same.Forget the fines, the suspension, the tarnished reputation. It is the fear that he might miss out on the World Cup that really eats away at him. Hales has hardly been ignored – he has played another 17 ODIs since he was dropped after the Bristol match against West Indies in September 2017. But because of the disruption to his career he is no longer an automatic choice with Jason Roy, Jonny Bairstow and Joe Root filling the top three places and scoring runs for fun. By his own admission, he is the stand-by batsman in the strongest and most destructive England one-day line-up in history.”It’s probably the most excited I’ve ever been in pre-season,” he said. “It’s arguably the biggest summer ever for England with a home World Cup. We are heading in as the bookies’ favourite. Hopefully I can play the part in a memorable summer. Playing in a World Cup in front of home fans is something I’ve always dreamed off as a kid.”I can’t have any complaints about being a reserve batter. It’s obviously disappointing, knowing I have played well for England since the last World Cup. I have a decent record. But Joe Root averages mid-50s batting at 3 and Jason and Jonny have probably been the best opening pair in world cricket in the past 18 months. For me it is just about staying hungry. I’ve no doubt that at some point my services will be required. Keeping everyone on their toes is my general plan.”Alex Hales speaks at a Chance to Shine Street event•Chance to Shine

It was good to see him looking so positive, with hail showers strafing Cossington Road Sports Centre and the temperature dipping to 4C, as he took part in a Chance to Shine session in a predominantly Indian area of Leicester.Anyway, if he wanted to find out about real misfortune he could find it in these young and talented cricketing wannabees. Leicester City Council plans to close the sports hall to indoor cricket and extend the existing gymnasium which will be calculated to bring in more revenue at a time when central Government funding to local councils has fallen on average by nearly 60 percent in a decade. More candles blown out for cricket, and these passionate, largely first-generation immigrant kids, which Chance to Shine is fighting so hard to counter.Hales is 30 now, a batsman who should be recognised as at his peak. He played IPL as a replacement for David Warner at Sunrisers Hyderabad in 2018, but missed out this year, not helped by the limited availability of England’s players. He has retired from red-ball cricket and, as things stand, has no inkling that he will one day change his mind.Four Royal London Cup matches over 50 overs for Nottinghamshire, from mid-April onwards, will be crucial in his World Cup preparations. He is fortunate that he does not need hours of match time to feel in form. The first ball struck cleanly over the ropes is normally enough to do that.”I’m not reliant on a huge volume of practice. I don’t have to hit for hours and hours. If I can middle a few I feel confident. Luckily I get those four games in for Notts. That will be a good chance to get some runs on the board and feel in good form.As for not becoming morose, that is hardly likely when Nottinghamshire’s coach has international pedigree to go with indecent levels of energy and enthusiasm. “We are so lucky at Notts to have Peter Moores in charge,” Hales said. “For me he is one of the best coaches in the world. To be around his knowledge and enthusiasm is ideal.”It was at Trent Bridge where Hales made his name with an unbeaten 150 against Worcestershire in a Pro40 match in 2009. He was still thrilling home supporters last summer with 147 against Australia as England made a world record 481 for 6 in ODIs. Memories of those destructive, long-limbed blows that day makes it hard to believe that he might not be part of the World Cup XI when Pakistan face England at Trent Bridge on June 3. He averages 90 on this narrow ground at a strike rate of 139, and knows every angle intimately.But he has brought about his own disruption and he must battle through it. Hales had to fulfil another commitment this week: a social media training course in Birmingham, where the indecorous images he posted on Snapchat many years ago, and which also attracted the ire of the ECB, were doubtless discussed at some length.Alex Hales has certainly chosen a few bad options along the way. But he has a right to move on and this summer he yearns for the chance to choose the right option – with a bat in his hand. He was a forerunner in English cricket’s one-day reinvention long before Eoin Morgan’s uncompromising captaincy dragged it into the modern era. He deserves a chance to bring that story to fruition.”If we don’t win the World Cup,” he said, “the last three-and-a-half years will count for nothing.”Chance to Shine is supported by England and Wales Cricket Board, Sport England and NatWest. Find out more at www.chancetoshine.org/street.