Hales was left out of England's 2019 World Cup squad due to recreational drug use.
As Cricket is set to return in England after the Coronavirus shut down in July, Chris Woakes said he would be happy to see Alex Hales back in the “England colors”, saying his teammate “deserves second chance” to revive his international career.
Hales has not played for England since being axed from the 2019 World Cup squad in May 2019 for failing a second test for recreational drug use.
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However, the pacer understood the decision but felt sorry for Hales, saying the 31-year-old is still a world-class player and should be allowed second chance to play for England and not only he but also the majority of the players in the dressing room would agree with him.
While the white-ball captain Eoin Morgan had made it clear that it would take a "considerable amount of time" to regain that trust on Hales, but the sudden need for a pool of up to 45 players to cover England’s rescheduled summer calendar could prompt the management to rethink about him.
Woakes said: “I’m a believer that people serve their time, so to speak. He’s gone through a tough time being left out of the World Cup; going on to see that team lift the trophy must have been difficult for him. I think if people have gone away for a time and worked on their weaknesses, they should be allowed a second chance. Alex is a world-class player. In a way I felt sorry for him but I understand the decision from the management, captain, and rest of the team.”
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He signed off by saying, “I don’t 100% know what will happen but I’d be happy to see Alex back in England colors. I would imagine the majority would have the kind of views I have given. I don’t know why anyone would see that any differently. We have a culture and an environment in the England squad we all try and pull in the right direction. If Alex is willing to do that then I imagine everyone would be happy to see him back.”
(With The Guardian Inputs)