England cricketer Alex Hales banned for 21 days for recreational drug use: Report

Alex Hales, the England batsman and World Cup contender, is serving a 21-day ban from cricket for recreational drug use, according to the Guardian. 

Hales missed the start of his county Nottinghamshire’s Royal London Cup campaign, with the club stating last Thursday that he had “made himself unavailable for selection for personal reasons”. The report revealed that Hales, who was named last week in England’s preliminary World Cup squad, is in fact suspended after failing another recreational drugs test. 

This is the second time he has failed England and Wales Cricket Board’s recreational drugs policy. However, Hales may still attend England’s training camp in Cardiff this weekend. 

Hales was suspended and fined by England last year after he and Ben Stokes were involved in a street fight outside a Bristol nightclub in September 2017.