Alexander Hales

The explosive batsman was dropped from England's Cricket World Cup-winning squad in 2019 after testing positive for recreational drugs prior to the tournament.

Then white-ball captain Eoin Morgan cited a "complete breakdown in trust" for Hales' continued exile.

However, Jonny Bairstow will miss the tournament in Australia having suffered a "freak" injury while playing golf, and Jason Roy remains badly out of form.

Those events have led to a surprise return for 33-year-old Hales, who will also be part of England's touring party for the seven-match T20I series in Pakistan, which starts on September 20. His last appearance was in a T20I fixture against West Indies in March 2019.

An ECB statement read: "Nottinghamshire batter Alex Hales has been called up to England's ICC Men's T20 World Cup squad as a replacement for Yorkshire's Jonathan Bairstow after a left-ankle injury sustained last week ended his chances of playing in the tournament.

"Hales, 33, who last represented England in March 2019, has also been added to the IT20 squad for the tour of Pakistan."

Speaking to Sky Sports on Tuesday, Morgan said of Hales: "There's one thing about Alex, his quality has never been a question.

"It's whether the team would like him in the side, or captains can trust him, or the coach, or the selectors.

"[England's men's managing director] Rob Key said he is available for selection, so that means he goes into a pool of players with the likes of Will Jacks, Phil Salt, Will Smeed, that sort of calibre of player.

"But there's no doubt he's extremely destructive and a match-winner."

The New Zealand skipper scored just 216 runs from 13 innings at an average of 19.64 in the IPL this year.

Sunrisers on Tuesday announced that Williamson has not been retained by the franchise, who finished eighth last season.

Nicholas Pooran and Sean Abbott are among the other players who have not been kept on by Hyderabad.

It was also the end of an era for Mumbai Indians, with Kieron Pollard calling time on his IPL playing days and taking over as the franchise's batting coach.

Kolkata Knight Riders will have to do without Pat Cummins, Alex Hales and Sam Billings after the overseas trio opted out of the 2023 tournament.

Dwayne Bravo and Chris Jordan were among the players on the Chennai Super Kings' list of released players, while Jason Holder will not feature for Lucknow Super Giants.

Black Caps duo Daryl Mitchell and Jimmy Neesham will not return to Rajasthan Royals, while the same goes for South Africa batter Rassie Van Der Dussen.

After not being selected for more than three years, the big hitter made a hugely successful comeback in the international game against Pakistan in Tuesday's T20I opener.

Hales scored 53 runs off 40 deliveries and built a vital 55-run partnership with youngster Harry Brook as England chased down Pakistan's total of 158 to win by six wickets with four balls to spare.

The Nottinghamshire opener has continued to impress in franchise cricket in recent years, but he had not featured for his country since a recreational drugs ban ahead of the 2019 Cricket World Cup, which England won.

However, with Jonny Bairstow injured and Jason Roy in poor form, Jos Buttler brought Hales back into the fold for this tour.

And speaking after the opening victory, Hales was understandably delighted with his return to the international stage.

"It's a very special feeling to be back out on the park for England," he said. "Three years felt like forever. To go out and score fifty on my return, in a winning team, is the stuff dreams are made of.

"Guys have said in the past that it was never down to cricket why I missed the three years. That was never in doubt. But there were always nerves and pressure coming back after three years.

"It felt like a debut again... it feels like a dream come true to come back and contribute with a half-century in a winning team."

Of his performance, Hales added: "[It] was all about getting over the line. I wasn't quite at my fluent best, but to get fifty and steer us in the right direction meant a lot.

"There are lots of times in T20 where you don't quite feel on top of your game and you're a little bit scratchy. But the deeper you take it, the more fluent the innings becomes.

"I got a couple of boundaries away towards the end and killed the game with Harry.

"I was trying to hit boundaries; it just didn't quite happen for some reason. I didn't have quite as much strike as I would have liked. I didn't quite manage to get going in the powerplay, but that can happen.

"I still managed to dig deep and steer us in the right direction for the win."

With the T20 World Cup around the corner, Hales will look to impress in this series against Pakistan to secure his position as one of England's premier limited-overs openers. 

This series marks the first time in 17 years England have played in Pakistan, with white-ball captain Buttler no doubt impressed with how his side started despite his absence as all-rounder Moeen Ali led the tourists in Karachi. 

Paul Collingwood will take charge of the group, which will live and train on-site at the Rose Bowl in Southampton ahead of the series, which starts on July 30.

Only eight of the players who were part of the 15-man squad that won the 2019 Cricket World Cup are included.

Seven players – Henry Brookes, Sam Hain, Laurie Evans, Phil Salt, Brydon Carse, Richard Gleeson and Tom Helm – have not represented England in any format.

Lewis Gregory and Liam Livingstone have previously won Twenty20 caps, while David Willey returns after missing out on last year's World Cup squad.

Alex Hales, who has not been included in a squad since he tested positive for a recreational drug in April 2019, was left out, with national selector Ed Smith touching on the batsman's omission.

"I have nothing to add to what Eoin Morgan has said about Alex," Smith told Sky Sports.

"We know how good a player he is, we know what happened, Eoin has been very clear about his comments and we support that."

Jonny Bairstow and Moeen Ali were left out of England's squad for the three-Test series against West Indies but are included in the training group, as is Jason Roy.

Openers Jos Buttler (68) and Alex Hales (84) were central to England setting a commanding target of 209 in Perth, with their stand of 132 almost double that of any other partnership for either team.

No one else managed more than 13 for England, but Chris Woakes (13 not out from five) provided a late injection to help them pass 200 and set Australia a significant target.

Australia's response was valiant. David Warner (73) looked sharp, aided by Mitchell Marsh (36) and Marcus Stoinis. During the latter's 35 off just 15 balls, Australia looked to have turned the tide.

Mark Wood (3-34) was key to disrupting Australia's momentum as he claimed the scalps of Stoinis and Warner, though the hosts still went into the final over knowing 16 runs would seal victory.

Matthew Wade's (21) four at the start of the last over stoked hope, but Sam Curran ensured there was no dramatic late turnaround with two wickets in the space of three balls.

Hales a double threat

While Curran played an important part at the end and Buttler gave England's innings some real potency, Hales starred both with the bat and in the field.

Hales' match-high score came from 51 balls as he found a fine balance between power and composure to hang around until the 16th over, while he also made two catches.

Curran repays the faith

Having the ball for the final over was not only a show of faith, but also a real test for Curran – Australia's target of 16 at that point was hardly inconceivable.

But he held his nerve, eventually claiming two wickets and seeing England over the line in an exciting finish to the first of three clashes between the sides.

Livingstone has not played international cricket since June 2017, when he scored 16 runs in a pair of T20 appearances against South Africa on English soil.

However, the 27-year-old was part of the group for the one-day series at home to Ireland last year, as well as the tour to South Africa that was cut short in December due to coronavirus concerns.

His selection comes after an impressive Big Bash tournament in Australia, though Hales – who finished as the competition's leading scorer, managing 543 at a strike-rate of 161.60 for Sydney Thunder – continues to be overlooked by the national selectors.

Root is also not included for the five-match series that offers Eoin Morgan's side further opportunities to prepare ahead of the ICC T20 World Cup, which takes place in India during October and November.

Jos Buttler – who has returned home for a scheduled break after helping England win the first Test against India in Chennai – will travel back for the white-ball games.

As well as the players in the squad, the England and Wales Cricket Board announced Jake Ball and Matt Parkinson as reserves. The party will depart on February 26, with all games to be played at the Sardar Patel Stadium in Ahmedabad.

England T20 squad for the tour to India: 

Eoin Morgan (captain), Moeen Ali, Jofra Archer, Jonny Bairstow, Sam Billings, Jos Buttler, Sam Curran, Tom Curran, Chris Jordan, Liam Livingstone, Dawid Malan, Adil Rashid, Jason Roy, Ben Stokes, Reece Topley, Mark Wood.

Reserves: Jake Ball, Matt Parkinson.

Former England batsman Hales says a picture that was published by The Sun shows him trying to pay tribute to rapper Tupac Shakur at a party in 2009.

Nottinghamshire batter Hales knows he has been "incredibly reckless and foolish".

The 32-year-old on Friday once again denied Azeem Rafiq's claim that he had named his dog Kevin, a name the spinner alleged his former team-mate Gary Ballance used as a "derogatory" term to refer to a player of colour.

Hales said in a video posted on Instagram: "With the allegations that have come to light over the last few days, I feel like it's important that I address these myself.

"I'll start with the picture that has appeared in The Sun of me in a fancy dress party in 2009. The theme was musicians and Tupac is, was, always will be my favourite musician so I went as him.

"I obviously realise it is incredibly disrespectful and I want to apologise for the offence that this has no doubt caused. It's incredibly reckless and foolish on my behalf so I want to apologise for that and I want to apologise to the club for the embarrassment it would have caused them

"I guess my 20s was full of mistakes like that, reckless mistakes off the field that cost me, let down family, let down team-mates, let down friends, close relationships I had in my 20s.

"I guess some of those decisions I'll regret for the rest of my life. The last few years, being away from the spotlight a little bit has given me the chance to better myself as a human, keep getting better at cricket but getting better off the field as well. It's something I feel like I've done and am continuing to strive to do.

"With regards to the allegations about the dog, it's an ongoing investigation at the club, so I can't go into that, but I want to reiterate what I said in my statement the other day.

"Finally, I deplore all forms of racism and discrimination. I've been incredibly lucky to play around the world in different backgrounds with players of different races, different cultures and I think it's great our game is so diverse."

Nottinghamshire said the club has "extended the scope of their investigation" into the historic conduct of Hales following the publication the photo.

Will Jacks, Dan Lawrence, Tom Kohler-Cadmore and Henry Brookes are among those selected yet to feature at international level, but there is no place for experienced duo Alex Hales or Liam Plunkett. 

David Willey, Ben Duckett and Dawid Malan, however, will be hoping to make a return for England after they were asked to report for sessions that will go ahead subject to government approval. 

Bowlers were able to begin individual training last week for the first time since they were forced into lockdown due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. 

There has been no confirmation of when England will play next, but a large training group was announced on Friday ahead of a proposed Test series with West Indies on home soil, as well as one-day games against Ireland.

England and Wales Cricket Board performance director Mo Bobat said: "It's really pleasing to be in a position to have players returning to training and a huge amount of work has been done by many to get us this far. 

"The pool of players will give selectors strong options when it comes to selecting squads across formats further down the line, as we move closer to our aim of playing international cricket this summer. 

"We will need to continue to work closely with our medical team and government to ensure that our return to training and play activities are in line with best-practice guidelines. 

"We're also really grateful for the positive and collaborative response from our county colleagues who are doing a great job at facilitating coaching and support for the players. The fact that we can call on our network to support the national effort shows the strength of our system." 

England training group: Moeen Ali, James Anderson, Jofra Archer, Jonny Bairstow, Tom Banton, Dom Bess, Sam Billings, James Bracey, Stuart Broad, Henry Brookes, Pat Brown, Rory Burns, Jos Buttler, Brydon Carse, Mason Crane, Zak Crawley, Sam Curran, Tom Curran, Liam Dawson, Joe Denly, Ben Duckett, Laurie Evans, Ben Foakes, Richard Gleeson, Lewis Gregory, Sam Hain, Tom Helm, Will Jacks, Keaton Jennings, Chris Jordan, Tom Kohler-Cadmore, Dan Lawrence, Jack Leach, Liam Livingstone, Saqib Mahmood, Dawid Malan, Eoin Morgan, Craig Overton, Jamie Overton, Matt Parkinson, Ollie Pope, Adil Rashid, Ollie Robinson, Joe Root, Jason Roy, Phil Salt, Dom Sibley, Ben Stokes, Olly Stone, Reece Topley, James Vince, Amar Virdi, David Willey, Chris Woakes, Mark Wood.

The English batter had been due to play for Kolkata Knight Riders in a tournament that starts on March 26.

Hales on Friday revealed he will not travel to India due to the strains of spending so much time in bio-secure environments due to the coronavirus pandemic.  

He tweeted: "I am sad to announce that I have made the extremely difficult decision to withdraw from the forthcoming IPL.

"Having spent the last four months away from home in restrictive bio bubbles and having tested positive for COVID myself in Australia, I don't feel as though I can commit myself to another extended period within a secure environment.

"It wouldn't be fair on the team or myself if I wasn't able to perform to the level expected of me as a result of ongoing bubble fatigue.

"I am truly gutted to have to turn down one of the best opportunities of my career due to the toll that the last two years of bubble life has taken on my mental well-being.

"I'll now take some time to rest and recharge ahead of the summer."

The Hurricanes hit form at the right time to make the play-offs, but they crashed out with a crushing defeat at Blundstone Arena on Thursday.

It will be the Thunder who face Adelaide Strikers in the Knockout clash at Adelaide Oval on Saturday after they racked up 197-5 and Hobart were all out for 140 in reply.

In-form batsman Hales, the second-highest run-scorer in the competition, blasted 60 off 37 balls and Khawaja bludgeoned a 34-ball 54 in an onslaught of 103 for the first wicket inside 10 overs.

Hobart never really looked like chasing that down with D'Arcy Short gone for 37 and Matthew Wade just 14, Cook dismissing both openers and finishing with outstanding figures of 4-21.

Chris Morris claimed 3-27 and Daniel Sams, the leading wicket-taker in the tournament, 2-24 in an impressive display from Sydney in the field as they eased through to end George Bailey's career.

THUNDER OPENERS MAKE LIGHTNING START

Hales and Khawaja got the Thunder off to a dream start after Callum Ferguson won the toss, setting about Clive Rose, James Faulkner, Scott Boland and Short.

Back-to-back overs from Rose and Boland cost 17 runs apiece, the latter put onto the roof at deep square leg by Hales after Khawaja was the first to a half-century from only 30 balls.

Faulkner struck Khawaja bang in front with a slower ball in the 10th over before Hales also moved to 50 off 30 deliveries, the English opener going on to blast Qais Ahmad for his third six before falling to Boland.

ELLIS BRINGS SOME CALM AFTER THE STORM

Ferguson ought to have been run out when he was well set after dispatching Short for two boundaries in as many balls before Alex Ross took a liking to the spin of Rose.

Short held on when Ferguson slapped a Rose full toss to him at deep midwicket as the Thunder lost the momentum somewhat before taking 16 off the penultimate over from Faulkner

Nathan Ellis finished off his excellent spell by going for just six off the last over to record figures of 1-18 from four, but Hales and Khawaja's stand left the Hurricanes facing a huge challenge to stay in the tournament.

COOK COMES TO THE BOIL, BAILEY BOWS OUT

Much was resting on the shoulders of Wade and the big-hitting Short, but Cook had the captain caught behind and also saw the back of his fellow opener.

There was no explosive swansong for Bailey, retiring to become an Australia national selector, as he was sent on his way by Morris to leave Hobart with a mountain to climb at 74-4 in the ninth over.

The excellent Cook also removed Simon Milenko and cleaned up Rose in what was an emphatic win for the Thunder.

The explosive batsman has been named in the squad for next month's World Cup in Australia, having last played for England in a T20I fixture against West Indies in March 2019.

Hales was dropped from that year's World Cup-winning squad after testing positive for recreational drugs prior to the tournament, while then white-ball captain Eoin Morgan cited a "complete breakdown in trust" for his continued exile since.

However, the 33-year-old was recalled after an injury to Jonny Bairstow, and could open on Tuesday when England play the first of their seven-matches series in Pakistan.

"[Being left out of the 2019 World Cup squad] was extremely painful," he admitted. "It's your worst nightmare: to be involved in a World Cup squad, missing out on the eve of it.

"It was brilliant to see the team lifting it, but at the same time, it eats at you inside that you should have been part of it, and you weren't.

"I guess that drives you on, to improve as a person and a cricketer and get that spot back that you feel you deserve.

"I did think that the chance would not come again, for sure. At times, I felt like I wouldn't get this chance again.

"I felt like I'd been playing the best cricket of my career over those three years as well, so to get this chance again at this time is something I'm really proud of and something I'm really looking forward to. I feel like I can help push this team forward."

He continued: "I think I have changed. I've definitely matured. I'm comfortably into my 30s now and turning into a veteran. I feel as though I've grown as a person. Where I am at the moment – on and off the field – is probably the best of my career so far.

"I'm treating this as a blank canvas and only looking to the future now. I'm really looking forward to the next two weeks in Pakistan and what the World Cup can bring."

Hales was dropped last year, a month before England's triumphant Cricket World Cup campaign on home soil, after he was reportedly handed a 21-day ban for what was described as an "off-field incident".

The batsman has not played for his country since but has been in sparkling form with the bat for Sydney Thunder in the Big Bash League in Australia.

Morgan stated that Hales' international career may not be over just yet, with the T20 World Cup coming up in Australia this year, but the England captain indicated that it may be a while before the 31-year-old is considered.

Asked if Hales could make an international return, he told Sky Sports: "Yes, absolutely.

"Alex is in fantastic form for Sydney Thunder at the moment but his form has never been a question about him coming back into the squad

"What happened prior to the World Cup last summer was a complete breakdown in trust between Alex and the team.

"The way back in for Alex is to try and rebuild that trust and that takes a considerable amount of time. We are in that time at the moment."

Meanwhile, Tom Banton, Saqib Mahmood and Matt Parkinson could make their ODI debuts in the first game of the three-match series against South Africa on Tuesday.

With Jos Buttler and Ben Stokes rested, Morgan says those who are given a chance against the Proteas must grasp it with both hands. 

"I think we use ODIs as a great opportunity to build strength in depth throughout our squad," said Morgan.

"This series, as a starting point, will see guys come in and make their debuts and give people opportunities to stake a claim for positions that have been cemented for some time now.

"One of our strengths going into the last World Cup was competition for places and guys in those positions becoming not just very good England players but world-class international players."

Hales has not played for his country in any format since March 2019 after he was removed from the Cricket World Cup squad following an "off-field incident", with reports claiming he served a suspension for failing a drugs test.

England went on to win that tournament but Morgan has not forgotten how his team's preparations were disrupted by Hales.

All-rounder Chris Woakes recently stated he would welcome Hales back into the fold, but ahead of the T20 World Cup, which is due to begin in Australia in October, Morgan stressed he does not think enough water has passed under the bridge.

"Alex is in a unique position, probably in a position nobody else has found themselves in before," Morgan told reporters.

"On the cusp of a World Cup, the huge breakdown in trust between him and the players was extremely dramatic, given the circumstances surrounding the four years and the build-up and the way things unfolded.

"I've spoken to Alex and certainly see an avenue for him to come back to playing cricket but, like in life and in any sport, when there's a breakdown of trust, the only healer in that is time.

"It's only been 12 or 13 months since the incident which could have cost us four years of hard work.

"Given it could have derailed a World Cup campaign, I think it might take some more time, yes."

Hales, 31, scored the second most runs in last season's Big Bash League and Morgan is the only English batsman to have scored more runs than him in T20 internationals.

His unbeaten 116 against Sri Lanka in 2014 remains the highest individual score for an England player.

"It's obviously not about performance with Alex," Morgan added.

"Alex is a fantastic player, it's never been discussed whether he's good enough to be in the squad or not.

"Playing cricket for England is about on and off the field, values we adhere to or do our best to adhere to, and Alex showed complete disregard for them.

"Building up that for as long as he can and then hopefully an opportunity will present itself down the line."

Hales has not played for England in three years since being taken out of the squad for the ODI World Cup in 2019 for failing a recreational drug test, and was not named in the initial squad for the upcoming T20 edition.

But a freak injury to Jonny Bairstow while playing golf last week has led to Hales being recalled for the tournament, as well as the squad for the T20 tour of Pakistan, which starts later this month.

Stokes' relationship with Hales is said to have declined after both were involved in a brawl outside a Bristol nightclub in 2017

But England Test captain Stokes acknowledged the quality Hales brings to the team.

"Alex is definitely one of the best T20 players in the world and unfortunately with what happened with Jonny we had to call another player up," Stokes told reporters.

"Alex is definitely one of the guys that bowlers don’t want to be bowling at in the T20 format."

However, Stokes was quiet when asked about their current relationship, adding: "My goal, Alex’s goal and everyone else’s goal who is part of that squad is to win the World Cup."

Set a meagre 152 for victory on Saturday, the Strikers were cruising towards a comfortable victory before Daniel Sams (3-26) and Chris Morris (2-22) instigated the loss of five wickets for 24 runs.

Star batsman Alex Hales top scored with 59 for the Thunder, who finished four points behind Adelaide on the ladder but will now face the Melbourne Stars in a do-or-die challenger clash on Thursday.

The winner of that match will advance to face the Sydney Sixers in the February 8 final at the SCG.

HALES GIVES THUNDER HOPE

Usman Khawaja's early exit and the loss of Callum Ferguson inside six overs could have derailed the Thunder before their innings began to take shape.

Hales had other ideas and, like he has done so regularly in the tournament, gave his team crucial quick runs at the top of the order.

The destructive England opener hammered six fours and four sixes to record his fourth half-century in five innings while dominating a 51-run stand with Alex Ross (12).

Arjun Nair (18) and all-rounder Morris (21) made handy contributions lower down the order to build a competitive total, but the Thunder would surely have been bundled out if not for their key man.

STRIKERS SQUANDER WINNING POSITION

Phil Salt's departure in the opening over of the chase failed to prevent the Strikers from making a confident start in front of an expectant Adelaide Oval crowd.

Travis Head entered and struck a quickfire 32 before Alex Carey (28) and Jonathan Wells (34) came together and produced what looked to be a match-winning partnership worth 50 runs.

Then, however, came the collapse. Australia international Carey was run out after gambling on a quick single and the promotion of Rashid Khan failed to pay dividends as he looped a catch out to deep square two balls later.

When Morris pinned Matt Short in front for a duck, the Strikers had lost three wickets for two runs and undone their good work.

TREMAIN FLAILS BUT THUNDER PREVAIL

Adelaide's implosion was only matched by that of Thunder bowler Chris Tremain, who sent down three wides in a wretched 16-run 18th over that left the door ajar.

Sams made amends, conceding five runs and removing both Michael Neser and Peter Siddle the following over.

Morris then extracted a thin edge from Wells, the Strikers' famed finisher, to all but end the contest at the beginning of the 20th.

Key contributors Sams and Hales combined to let a high ball go to ground but the damage was done as the Thunder kept alive their hopes of a second BBL title.

Knowing his side needed a victory at the Gabba to have a realistic chance of qualifying from Group 1, Buttler top scored with 73 off 47 balls to become his country's leading T20I run-scorer, with Alex Hales (52 from 40) also making a half-century in England's 179-6.

The England captain was dropped by Kane Williamson on eight and Daryl Mitchell when he had 40 to his name, with his team on course for 200 before a flurry of late wickets, including the brilliant Buttler being run out when he was in full flow as the Black Caps clawed it back.

New Zealand were in trouble on 28-2 after losing Devon Conway and Finn Allen, but Glenn Phillips and Williamson swung the game in their favour with a third-wicket stand of 91.

Moeen Ali dropped a simple chance to get rid of the powerful Phillips, in great touch after a brutal century against Sri Lanka, for 15 but Ben Stokes had Williamson (40) caught by Adil Rashid at short third man for a much-needed breakthrough.

Phillips was dismissed by the excellent Sam Curran (2-26) as England took the upper hand and Chris Woakes (2-33) was also outstanding to restrict the Black Caps to 159-6, sealing a victory that moved England second in Group 1 ahead of Australia with one game to play against Sri Lanka and level on points with leaders New Zealand, who face Ireland on Friday.

Buttler serves up a treat

Buttler capitalised on being given two lives to move beyond Eoin Morgan's tally of 2,458, taking his haul to 2,468 with a masterful 18th T20I half-century.

He struck two sixes and seven fours, showing a combination of sheer power and finesse to lead by example at the top of the order along with Hales.

Buttler then took a magnificent diving catch for Woakes to dismiss Conway, rising to the occasion in a must-win landmark game for the skipper.

In-form Curran steps up again

Curran has been outstanding for England in Australia, starring in a pre-tournament series success over the hosts and maintaining his fine form when it matters most.

He struck a six late in England's innings and then bowled four tight overs without conceding a boundary, also claiming the wickets of Allen and the big scalp of Phillips.

Curran also took an important catch in the deep to see the back of the dangerous Neesham as England claimed a measure of revenge for their T20 World Cup semi-final defeat to the Black Caps last year.

Hales, who was called up in place of the injured Jonny Bairstow for the T20 World Cup, has been superb for England in Australia and, alongside captain Jos Buttler, delivered a remarkable batting display against India on Thursday.

England's openers put on an unbeaten partnership of 170 – a T20 World Cup record – to claim a resounding 10-wicket victory in Thursday's semi-final at the Adelaide Oval.

It tees up a final against Pakistan at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Sunday.

Hales lost his place in the England set-up after testing positive for a recreational drug in 2019, yet the 33-year-old has made the most of his comeback, with his 86 not-out in Adelaide including 11 boundaries, seven of which were sixes.

"It would be right up there, for sure," replied Hales when asked if it was the perfect performance.

"A huge occasion, India in a semi-final of the World Cup – really happy with how I played, as special as it gets.

"This is one of the best venues to bat at in the world, especially in the powerplay, good value for shots, small and square boundaries and a ground I've got good memories at.

"I never thought I'd play in a World Cup again, so to get the chance is a special feeling, in a country I love and where I've spent a lot of time. It's one of the best nights of my career."

Hales became the third England batter, after Buttler and former captain Eoin Morgan, to reach 2,000 runs in the shortest format.

England did not have it all their own way, however, with a late flurry from Hardik Pandya, who plundered 63 from 33 balls, propelling India to a seemingly competitive 168-6 - Virat Kohli (50) had previously become the first batsman to reach 4,000 runs in T20Is.

Yet India never gained any momentum with the ball, and England skipper Buttler, who scored 80 and hit a huge six to round off the win, hailed an outstanding display from his team, who lost to Ireland in their second match of the tournament to leave them with plenty of work to do to get out of Group 1.

"Certainly does feel a long time ago, which is great," Buttler said of the Ireland match. "The character we've shown as a group ever since that moment, coming into a huge game against New Zealand and getting to this point to put in our best performance so far.

"We always wanted to start as fast as we can and be really aggressive – Adil Rashid was down to come in at number 11 today and that's an incredibly long batting line-up, it gives you a lot of freedom when you start out to know you have such depth.

"It's important to enjoy this, it was a brilliant performance. We can reflect on this and enjoy it, and of course we know there's one big task to go."

Of Hales, Buttler said: "He was so tough to bowl at, he used the dimensions of the ground incredibly well.

"We probably complement each other quite nicely, different players, different styles and he's shown fantastic form in the last few matches and he was a brilliant partner."

Chris Jordan played for the first time in the tournament due to Mark Wood's injury, and stepped up with figures of 3-43.

"I think I have to give special praise to Chris, coming into this game having not played and I asked an incredibly tough thing of him to do, to bowl three overs at the death," Buttler added.

"Against a set batsman like Hardik who's one of the best in those situations in the world, he handled it incredibly well."

Hales (86 not out) and Buttler (80 not out) put on a T20 World Cup record partnership of 170 on Thursday to claim an emphatic victory and tee up a showdown with Pakistan.

England elected to field first at the Adelaide Oval and had India tied up at 75-3 inside 11.2 overs, Adil Rashid (1-20) clinching the key wicket of in-form Suryakumar Yadav (14).

India dug deep as Virat Kohli, who had previously scored five centuries in Adelaide, became the first player to hit 4,000 T20I runs and Hardik Pandya exploded at the other end to guide them to 168-6.

Kohli was dismissed just after making 50, caught brilliantly by Rashid from the bowling of Chris Jordan, who took 3-43 on his return in Mark Wood's absence.

Hardik picked up the slack in the final few overs, with his wonderful 63 from 33 deliveries coming to an end when he stood on his own wickets from the last ball of the innings.

Yet any India momentum was swiftly halted as Buttler and Hales bludgeoned their way to 63 by the end of the powerplay.

Hales then found another gear, rattling to a 28-ball 50, and India had no answer to England's on-song openers.

Buttler, having smacked a huge six down the ground, was dropped by Yadav, with the ball trickling to the boundary to compound India's misery, and England had a place in the final secured with four overs to spare when their captain sent Mohammed Shami for six to wrap up an outstanding win.

Hales' comeback complete

It has been a long road back for Hales, who was banned after testing positive for a recreational drug in 2019. 

Having replaced the injured Jonny Bairstow for this tournament, Hales has been sensational in Australia and on Thursday turned in one of the all-time great performances to make up for lost time. He became the third England player, after Jos Butler, and Eoin Morgan, to register 2,000 T20I runs.

Buttler brilliance sets up MCG rematch

While Kohli and Hardik let loose late on, Buttler's captaincy must be lauded, with England having limited their opponents for much of their innings.

Buttler, now onto 19 T20I half-centuries, then delivered with the bat, fittingly finishing the job with a sublime shot.

After falling short in the semi-finals against New Zealand last year, England will face Pakistan in Melbourne, 30 years on from a World Cup final between the nations at the same venue.

The Thunder needed to triumph to avoid elimination from top-five contention and held their nerve with the bat after being set 96 from 12 overs for victory following a rain delay at Spotless Stadium.

South African Morris clubbed a six and a four in consecutive deliveries to reward Alex Hales' blistering 47 and get the hosts home with two balls to spare, sealing a seven-wicket victory that takes them above the Scorchers and into fourth.

Miserly bowling from Chris Tremain (1-14) and Daniel Sams (1-16) earlier restricted the Scorchers to 99-4 from 15 overs, their total reduced following the hour-long pause in play.

BANCROFT BUILDS COMPETITIVE TOTAL

The Scorchers gave themselves plenty of work to do after winning the toss, electing to bat and then slipping to 64-4 in the 12th over of their truncated innings.

They were indebted to Cameron Bancroft for achieving a reasonable score before the rain arrived, the Australia international managing a valuable unbeaten 35 from 25 balls amid scant contributions elsewhere in the top six.

Liam Livingstone stuttered to Perth's next-best score with 20 off 27 as Tremain, Sams and Morris (1-9) kept the total down.

HALES HELPS THUNDER THROUGH THE STORM

Following scores of 85 and 63 in the previous two games, England international Hales continued his fine form in a standout performance.

The 31-year-old made light of a difficult wicket as he breezed to 47 from 27 balls before slicing a catch to cover off Fawad Ahmad (1-15).

The ease with which Hales found the boundary - his innings included four fours and two sixes - came in contrast to the other batsman during a low-scoring affair on a difficult wicket.

MORRIS SETTLES THUNDER NERVES

Hales' departure led to the loss of three wickets for 16 runs as the Thunder started to let victory slip from their grasp.

Usman Khawaja (22) was caught out of his crease, Jhye Richardson bowled Alex Ross and the Scorchers suddenly became favourites to escape with the points.

Enter all-rounder Morris. After watching Callum Ferguson take three runs off the first two balls of the decisive 12th over from Matt Kelly, the 32-year-old brought a stunning end to the contest.

He struck a huge six over long-on and then pierced a drive through the off-side to snatch a season-saving win for the Thunder just as it looked to have eluded them.

England hammered Australia by eight wickets with 50 balls to spare in the group stage of the T20 World Cup last year, but Aaron Finch's side went on to win the title for the first time.

Australia opted to go with a longer batting line-up after that crushing loss rather than pick five bowlers and reaped the rewards, beating New Zealand in the final.

The holders start the defence of their crown on home soil against the Black Caps at the SCG on October 22, but before then they take on an England side who are among the favourites to dethrone them.

Wicketkeeper-batter Wade feels the manner in which they were dismantled by England was a "turning point".

He said ahead of the opening match of the series at Perth Stadium: "They destroyed us in the World Cup. It was probably a turning point for the way we go about playing T20.

"We had to start to go a little bit harder, especially towards the top and then back end it with seven batters. We stuck to that formula after they destroyed us in the World Cup.

"So we're looking forward to playing them and see whether our game style [continues to work] – since then [it] has changed a little bit and hopefully we can go blow for blow with them.

"We've got seven batters now – we played six batters for a long time … but now we've got the power and we've got the depth of batting that I think you need to go with a team like England. You need to be able to score 200 to beat them on their day."

Captain Jos Buttler returns for a calf injury to lead England and Test skipper Ben Stokes is back after missing the 4-3 series win in Pakistan, but Liam Livingstone (ankle) remains sidelined.

England have won four of the past five T20Is between the two fierce rivals, but Australia have been victorious in seven of the last eight contests on home soil.

Smith in the spotlight

Australia completed a 2-0 whitewash of West Indies at The Gabba on Friday, but Steve Smith missed out once again as he fell for 17.

The former captain has not scored a T20I half-century since November 2019 and could do with some runs against England.

With Tim David having staked his claim for a place in the side and all-rounder Marcus Stoinis returning, Smith is in the spotlight.

Hales and Salt battling for opening berth

The return of Buttler at the top of the order means England will have to choose between Alex Hales and Phil Salt for the other opening spot.

Hales made a half-century in his long-awaited England comeback in the first match of the series against Pakistan, but fell for under 20 on three occasions.

Salt blasted a stunning unbeaten 88 from 41 balls in the sixth T20I in Lahore, but it remains to be seen if he will retain his place.