Morgan: Hales could be England’s Warner

Cricket365
September 11, 2015

England ODI captain Eoin Morgan says opener Alex Hales is more than a T20 blaster, and has the potential to move into all three formats for England, like David Warner has done for Australia.

Hales is clamouring for a Test place after Adam Lyth's disappointing Ashes series, and Morgan feels the Nottinghamshire man has been in superb form this season in all formats, and deserves a Test debut.

Like Warner, who started off as a T20 smasher and is now the opener for Australia in all formats, Hales has developed his longer games in recent years, and recently scored 189 for Notts against Warwickshire in the County Championships.

Morgan said: "Alex Hales has been a terrific cricketer over the last couple of years; he has really flourished in all three forms of the game.

"I think the first time most people have seen Alex, would have been in the T20 format; he sort of arrived on the international stage with a huge bang.

"And it’s great to see his development now, we have all seen the form he’s shown in the Royal London One Day Cup, he has contributed to where Nottinghamshire are sitting at the moment so he’s another product of the tournament.

"I certainly think he has the talent to succeed at the highest level and I think again his progression is astounding. If you were to compare him to someone it would probably be David Warner of Australia.

"David started as a T20 cricketer, Alex Hales has had a similar pathway and at the moment I think there is that reserve batting spot that will be up for grabs in the winter for England.

"And depending on what route the selectors and the captain and the coach want to go down, I think certainly Alex should be talked about in terms of Test cricket."