Michael Vaughan: Alex Hales needs to look at himself in the mirror

Former England skipper Michael Vaughan doesn’t hold back in his criticism of batsman Alex Hales but says the door should still be open if the powerful hitter changes his ways.

It has been a turbulent week for English cricket with the Nottinghamshire star booted out of the upcoming World Cup having been caught taking recreational drugs for the second time.

Former England skipper Vaughan has come down hard on the 30-year-old, citing his advancing years as a cause for concern but insists a second chance should not be out of the question.

“I believe there’s a way back for everyone,” said Vaughan, speaking at a Super Saturday event as part of the Cricket World Cup Trophy Tour, driven by Nissan.

“For Alex it’s a long road back, first and foremost as a person. He needs good people around him to get his life back on track.

“He needs to produce performances to force his way back.

“The problem for Alex is he isn’t getting any younger. The World Cups are every four years.

“Whether he’ll feel he can be a part of the next World Cup will come down to his performances and his professionalism.

“He’ll have to convince people he’s changed. He needs to look himself in the mirror and get his life sorted.”

Eoin Morgan’s leadership has come under intense scrutiny in the last week, with the England ODI captain citing a ‘complete breakdown of trust’ between Hales and the squad.

This was hardly an isolated incident after Hales and Ben Stokes were involved in an altercation outside a Bristol nightclub in September 2017.