Nottinghamshire batter Alex Hales has been recalled to the England squad for the T20 World Cup as a replacement for the injured Jonny Bairstow.

The 33-year-old will also be available for the upcoming tour of Pakistan, with Bairstow having sustained a serious leg injury in a “freak accident” on the golf course last week.

Hales has not played for England since March 2019. He failed a recreational drugs test and former England one-day captain Eoin Morgan said that had led to a “complete breakdown in trust”.

However, Hales’ form – along with Morgan’s retirement – has seen him force his way back into the selectors’ thoughts.

The England and Wales Cricket Board confirmed his recall in a short team update issued on Wednesday morning.