Image Credit- Nottinghamshire
The latest
indication of a global T20 schedules strain on the English summer is that Alex
Hales, who signed up for the Lanka Premier League, will miss six of
Nottinghamshire’s 14 Vitality Blast group games.
Hales has been a regular on the franchise T20 circuit for a long time. He won
the T20 World Cup and retired from England duty last year. Last month, he
agreed to a 2024 contract extension with Notts after rumours circulated that he
might miss the Blast to play Major League Cricket in the United States.
This year, the LPL will take place between July 1 and July 21, which means it
will conflict with both the MLC and the second half of the Blast group stage.
Hales was a pillar
of the team as Notts made it to the 2023 Blast quarterfinals. If the team
advances to the elimination stages this summer, he will be available. The
Hundred will take place in September, which is when the quarterfinals and
Finals Day would take place.
“We knew that
there may be a potential schedule clash for Alex this year – he is an in-demand
player and we have to respect that he has earned the right to play in global
competitions at this stage of his career,” Nottinghamshire’s director of cricket,
Mick Newell, said.
“We were honest with each other when he signed his extension, albeit he
was still awaiting offers from overseas leagues at that time.
“We know that he loves playing for Notts – it’s been his home for his
entire professional career, and he’s has spoken multiple times about his
enjoyment he has for playing at Trent Bridge.
“I have no doubt he’ll offer us a lot during the time he has with us, both
on and off the field, and we’ll look forward to welcoming him back should we
reach the quarter-final stages.”