England T20 World Cup 2022 squad: Full 15-player line-up as Jason Roy is dropped and Jonny Bairstow injured

Rob Key, England’s director of cricket, has revealed Alex Hales was close to selection for the T20 World Cup and could yet still play in the tournament as an injury replacement.

Hales has not represented his country since failing a recreational drugs test shortly before the 50-over World Cup in 2019.

After that, the 33-year-old appeared to have been effectively blackballed, with former England captain Eoin Morgan citing “a complete breakdown in trust” between Hales and the rest of the group.

When he took on his current role at the start of this summer, Key admitted Hales – still one of the best T20 batters in the world – had “served his time” and was available for selection once again, while Morgan’s international retirement in June further raised the prospect of a recall.

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Despite missing out on the squad for the tournament that starts in Australia next month and the tour of Pakistan that precedes it, Key admitted Hales was discussed when he picked the squad alongside white-ball coach Matthew Mott and captain Jos Buttler.

“Alex Hales was mentioned when we spoke about who the best opening partner for Jos was,” he said.

At the time Key was speaking, it had been decided Jonny Bairstow “was the man to do that in the World Cup”, but he has since been ruled out of the tournament after suffering a freak injury playing golf. In a statement, the ECB said a replacement for the World Cup squad will be confirmed in due course.

Key also said he believes Hales would have been welcomed by the dressing-room had he been selected.

“I think so,” he said. “It’s never been an issue really as far as we were concerned ­ – we were able to just talk about form. Look, I spoke to Alex Hales, he rang me actually, and he argued why he wasn’t there and I think quite right too. I much prefer when these people pick up the phone and say, ‘come on then, why wasn’t I there?’ I’ve a huge amount of respect for that as opposed to people who go behind the scenes moaning. It’s just unfortunate there’s a hell of a lot of very good players.”

Yet Hales could still make the World Cup as an injury replacement. Indeed, Key, mentioned Hales by name when talking about such a scenario – which is potentially significant given Buttler is still nursing a calf injury and will only play a limited role on the tour of Pakistan.

“You can bring in injury replacements,” said Key. “So that’s why we’ve used the Pakistan tour to see some of the next generation coming through and then if someone does get injured it might be those guys that come through. It also might be some of the other guys. It might be Alex Hales or someone like that who we know a lot more about, who we’re not necessarily going to learn about in Pakistan.”

Part of the reason Hales came back into the frame is because Jason Roy’s poor form saw drop out of contention for the World Cup.

Key admitted dropping Roy, 32, was the decision “we spent the most time on”, adding: “I certainly don’t think this is the end of Jason Roy. He was obviously very disappointed. I think gutted was the phrase he used. He wanted to make sure this wasn’t the end. I still think he’s a fantastic player but the timing has been awful for him, to lose form at that time.”

There was also an admission from Key that Mark Wood and Chris Woakes had been picked for the World Cup with “fingers crossed” given neither bowler has played since March because of injury.

“Let’s hope our luck changes in terms of injuries and we have those guys able to take a full role when it comes to the World Cup,” said Key. “We are optimistic.”

Who made the cut – and who misses out?

Roy and Matt Parkinson are the big omissions from England’s squad for the upcoming T20 World Cup in Australia.

But, as revealed by i on Thursday, fit-again bowlers Wood and Woakes are included for the tournament that starts in Australia next month.

Roy has been dropped after a poor summer with the bat, the opener scoring just 78 runs in six T20 internationals. Parkinson, the Lancashire leg-spinner, was also considered surplus to requirements by a selection panel of captain Buttler, white-ball coach Matthew Mott and director of cricket Key.

England also named a 19-man squad for a seven-match Twenty20 tour of Pakistan that starts in Karachi later this month, with the inclusion of five players who are uncapped at T20 international level – Kent batter Jordan Cox, Middlesex seamer Tom Helm, Surrey batter Will Jacks, fast bowler Olly Stone and Lancashire seamer Luke Wood.

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Buttler is also in the squad for Pakistan but will not play until later in the series because of a calf injury, meaning Moeen Ali will lead the side at the start of England’s first tour of the country since 2005.

Chris Jordan and all-rounder Liam Livingstone are also recovering from respective finger and ankle injuries meaning although both are in the World Cup party, they will sit out Pakistan.

The inclusion of Wood and Woakes in both squads is a major boost for England given both bowlers have not played since March. Wood in particular was a major doubt for the World Cup after having two operations on a problematic right elbow but his availability for the tournament in Australia, a country ideally-suited to fast bowlers, could make a big difference to England’s chances.

The fact Stone, another bowler capable of bowling 90 miles per hour, is back in an England squad for the first time since June last year is also good news following a succession of injury problems for the 28-year-old.

England’s T20 World Cup squad

England’s T20 Pakistan tour squad