Alex Hales cited “bubble fatigue” after announcing his withdrawal from this year’s Indian Premier League.
Hales was snapped up by Kolkata Knight Riders for his base price of around £146,000 at last month’s auction for the 10-team event which is scheduled to run from March 26 to May 29, with Mumbai and Pune staging all group games.
But Hales is reluctant to spend another long spell in inhibitive environments, launched to safeguard against Covid-19 in the last couple of years, having done so for several months on the franchise Twenty20 circuit this winter.
The batter has therefore decided to follow the example of former England opening partner Jason Roy, who pulled out of representing Gujarat Titans for similar reasons. Roy is now taking a “short indefinite break” from cricket.
Hales, who has been replaced in the Knight Riders’ squad by Australia limited-overs captain Aaron Finch, said in a statement on Twitter: “I have made the extremely difficult decision to withdraw from the forthcoming IPL.
“Having spent the last four months away from home in restrictive bio bubbles and having tested positive for Covid myself in Australia, I don’t feel as though I can commit myself to another extended period within a secure environment.
“It wouldn’t be fair on the team or myself if I wasn’t able to perform to the level expected of me as a result of ongoing bubble fatigue.
“I am truly gutted to have to turn down one of the best opportunities of my career due to the toll that the last two years of bubble life has take on my mental well-being. I’ll now take some time to rest and recharge ahead of the summer.”
Hales, whose international career has comprised of 11 Tests, 70 ODIs and 60 T20s, is widely regarded as one of the best short-form batters in England but he has been overlooked by the national team since being removed from the 2019 World Cup squad on the eve of the tournament following a positive recreational drugs test.
Speaking about Hales’ decision, Knight Riders chief executive and managing director Venky Mysore said on the franchise’s Twitter account: “We respect Alex Hales’ decision of choosing family and mental well-being over his participation in the upcoming season of the IPL.
“We will miss having him in the Galaxy of Knights this season, but we wish him all the best.”
