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England batter Alex Hales has announced his retirement from international cricket with immediate effect.

Hales’ three-year England exile for failing a recreational drugs test came to an end last year when he was added to his country’s T20 World Cup squad as a replacement for the injured Jonny Bairstow.

The 34-year-old went on to score 212 runs in the tournament, with a best of 86 not out against India in the semi-finals, as England won the trophy but has now decided to focus on domestic white-ball cricket only, with Nottinghamshire and in franchise leagues across the world.

Hales wrote on Instagram: “It has been an absolute privilege to have represented my country on 156 occasions across all three formats.

“Throughout my time in an England shirt I’ve experienced some of the highest highs as well as some of the lowest lows.

“It’s been an incredible journey and I feel very content that my last game for England was winning a World Cup final.

“Throughout the ups and down I’ve always felt a huge amount of support from my friends, family and undoubtedly the best fans in world cricket.

“I look forward to continuing to play for Notts and exploring more franchise cricket around the world.”

Hales scored 2,419 runs for England in 70 one-day internationals and 2,074 in 75 T20 internationals with a combined seven hundreds and 26 half-centuries.

The right-hander was the first man to score a T20 international century for England, with his 64-ball 116 not out against Sri Lanka in 2014 remaining the team’s highest score in the format.

Hales was jettisoned from the England squad ahead of the 50-over World Cup on home soil in 2019 after then-captain Eoin Morgan said his failed drugs test had led to a “complete breakdown in trust”.

The batter had lost his place as first-choice opener two years earlier after the incident outside a Bristol nightclub that also involved Ben Stokes.

Hales featured in 11 Tests for England between 2015 and 2016, scoring five fifties at an average of 27.28.