“Alex has a fantastic record in Australia”: Jos Buttler confirms preferring Alex Hales over Phil Salt for T20 World Cup 2022

Jos Buttler confirms preferring Alex Hales: The English captain is impressed with his opening partner’s credentials down under.

Opening the batting with each other for the first time in a T20I, England captain Jos Buttler and batter Alex Hales scored individual half-centuries to power the team to 208/6 in 20 overs against Australia in Perth today.

Having scored 58 runs in the powerplay, the duo had amassed 118 runs by the halfway mark. A match-winning 68-ball 132-run partnership provided enough signs to the fans with respect to what they should expect from Hales and Buttler in the next one month or so.

While Buttler scored 68 (32) with the help of eight fours and four sixes at a strike rate of 212.50, Hales won the Player of the Match award after more than four years for his 84 (51) comprising of 12 fours and three sixes.

In what was the eighth-highest T20I partnership among English batters, it was their second-best opening partnership. Readers must note that Hales is part of England’s four highest opening stands in this format.

Jos Buttler confirms preferring Alex Hales over Phil Salt for T20 World Cup 2022

Admitting that picking one out of Hales and Phil Salt as his opening partner for the first T20I on Sunday was “difficult”, Buttler explained why the senior batter was preferred over Salt.

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“Alex [Hales] has a fantastic record in Australia. [Phil] Salt did well in his chances, but we felt that Alex was the man at the top in Australia and for the upcoming World Cup,” Buttler told Fox Cricket during the post-match presentation ceremony.

Alex Hales grateful for chances at the top of the order

Second-highest run-scorer for Sydney Thunder in the Big Bash League, Hales has amassed 1,502 runs in 45 innings at an average and strike rate of 36.63 and 152.33 respectively including one century and 11 half-centuries for his current club.

Before a super successful stint at Thunder, Hales had also represented Melbourne Renegades, Adelaide Strikers and Hobart Hurricanes in the BBL. A total of 2,010 T20 runs in Australia have come at a strike rate of 151.24 for the 33-year old player.

“Grateful for the chance at the top of the order, the experience of playing for the Sydney Thunder in the Big Bash has helped me while playing on these surfaces,” Hales told Fox Cricket.

As mentioned by Buttler, Salt has scored his 235 T20I runs at a strike rate of 164.33. Salt, who has spent a couple of seasons at Adelaide  Strikers, has scored 671 runs in 30 innings in Australia at a strike rate of 146.51.

With no shortage of explosive batters in their squad, England have an in-form Salt on the bench waiting to create instant impact whenever an opportunity comes his way.