England’s Alex Hales retires from internaitonal cricket with immediate effect
London, Aug 4: Explosive and temperamental England opening batter Alex Hales on Friday announced his retirement from international cricket with immediate effect.
Hales, who made his international debut against India in August 2011 in a T20I at Manchester, represented England in 11 Tests, 70 One-Day Internationals and 75 T20Is.
Incidentally, Hales' last impact innings on the international stage was also against India, a brutal, unbeaten 47-ball 86 (4x4s, 7x6s) in the semifinal of the T20 World Cup 2022 in Australia.
Hales and Jos Buttler (80 not out) had powered England to a 10-wicket win while chasing 169 at Adelaide.
“Just a note to announce that I have decided to retire from international cricket,” Hales shared in a note on his Instagram account.
''It has been an absolute privilege to have represented my country on 156 occasions across all three formats. l've made some memories and some friendships to last a lifetime and I feel that now is the right time to move on,” he wrote.
Hales, whose last appearance for England was in the T20 World Cup 2022 final against Pakistan at Melbourne, said, ''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.''
Hales was not a part of England’s World Cup winning campaign in 2019 when the team’s captain Eoin Morgan and senior players decided that he had no role to play, while he served a 21-day ban for failing a second recreational drugs case. Morgan had termed it as ‘a complete breakdown of trust’.
But Hales was a vital cog in England’s revival in white-ball cricket. In fact, he contributed a 92-ball 147 (16x4s, 5x6s) when England piled up a monumental 481/6 against Australia in the Nottingham ODI in 2018 — the second highest ODI total ever.
Hales scored 2,419 runs at 37.79 with six centuries and 14 fifties in 70 ODIs. In 75 T20Is, he made 2,074 runs at 30.95 with one century and 12 half-centuries. In 11 Tests, he could only manage five fifties and a total of 573 runs at 27.28.
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Class 10, 12 Gujarat board exams begin; 15.2 lakh students set to appear
Gandhinagar (PTI): The Class 10 and 12 board examinations for more than 15 lakh students, conducted by the Gujarat Secondary and Higher Secondary Education Board (GSHSEB), commenced across the state on Thursday, officials said.
At several centres, students appearing for the examination were welcomed in keeping with Indian cultural traditions. They were greeted with sweets, presented with roses, and given writing pads and pens.
"There are 1,701 examination centres across the state, where 15,27,724 students have begun their exams," an official release said.
To prevent any malpractice, special arrangements have been made by the administration. All examination centres are equipped with CCTV cameras, it added.
Officers from the District Coordination Committee have been appointed as observers. Adequate police personnel have also been deployed to maintain law and order, the release said.
Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel extended best wishes to students for achieving success in the exams.
"With the blessings of teachers and parents, along with hard work and self-confidence, we can overcome every stage of life with ease. The board examination is also an important milestone in life. It not only helps us move forward in our careers but also prepares us for the many tests life has to offer," he said in a post on X.
He appealed to the students to take their exams without stress, with complete confidence, and build a bright future by achieving success in every examination of life.
Gujarat Education Minister Dr Praduman Vaja visited Shri Swaminarayan Gurukul and encouraged students, extending wishes for their bright future.
He said the government has made comprehensive arrangements to ensure that students can take their exams in a free and fearless environment.
