The England team management sees Alex Hales as a man who can win them matches down under next year with his devastating stuff at the top of the order and it’s fair enough for them to think that way as the Nottinghamshire batsman has been doing that in the domestic circuit for the last 4-5 years, making match winning contributions batting upfront. But, international cricket is not like domestic cricket. It’s a level higher. You don’t face as good an attack in domestic cricket as you’ve got to face at the international level.

Players, however, get selected on the basis of their domestic performances only and the same has happened to Hales also, but, expecting him to win you the World Cup straightaway is putting severe pressure on the youngster. And, having seen him play in the last series against India, one can say that he is not a finished product just yet as far as the 50-over cricket is concerned.

There are no question marks over Hales’ hitting abilities. He gets the deliveries away when power play is on and only two or three men are back at the boundary line, but, when it comes to the middle part where the spinners come on and the fielders get pushed back, Hales feel like being in jail. It’s just about dot or big shot for him. If the spinners bowl tight and do not let him get away for a few overs, he goes for the glory shots and perishes. The Indian spinners did it to him a couple of times.

So, that’s an area where Hales needs to look in. Even if it’s a 50-over game, a top order batsman needs to play a big inning. Only then, he can get his team into the best possible position. Peter Moores and the other England coaches will have to make Hales realize that.