England's Alex Hales serving suspension for 'off-field incident'
- Published
Alex Hales was previously suspended and fined by the ECB following an incident outside a Bristol nightclub in September 2017
England's Alex Hales has been suspended following an "off-field incident", a spokesman for the batsman has said.
Hales missed Nottinghamshire's One-Day Cup games last week for what the county described as "personal reasons".
The incident happened last year, and the player's spokesman added: "While the issue is not cricket related, he accepted it was right he was suspended."
Hales, 30, will join England for a pre-World Cup training camp on Saturday.
He is part of a preliminary 15-man squad named for the World Cup on home soil, which begins on 30 May.
England's first match of the summer is against Ireland in a one-day international in Dublin on 3 May.
It is the second time Hales has been suspended, following his punishment - which also included a fine - for an incident outside a Bristol nightclub in September 2017.
The England limited-overs batsman did not face any criminal charges, while team-mate Ben Stokes was cleared of affray at a trial.
In addition to the incident in Bristol, Hales was charged in relation to "inappropriate images".
Speaking to the Guardian, external earlier this month, the batsman said the fallout from the incident had been a "lesson learned the incredibly hard way", and subsequently told BBC Sport he believed he deserved a "second chance" after he and his team-mates were "caught up in the wrong place at the wrong time".
He added: "It was also an eye-opener to how much we are in the public eye as England cricketers. You have to mature and put yourself in the right situations."
Hales has played 11 Tests, 70 ODIs and 60 T20 internationals for England.
He is now regarded as a white-ball specialist, however, and in 2018 signed a new contract with Nottinghamshire to play only limited-overs matches until the end of the 2019 season.
Analysis
BBC Sport cricket correspondent Jonathan Agnew, speaking on 5 Live
It's a build-up England don't want as they head into the World Cup as favourites - the last thing supporters want is for the team to shoot themselves in the foot.
There have been injury worries, and there's the question of Jofra Archer, the highly promising Sussex cricketer.
There's a lot of debate whether he should be parachuted straight into the team having never played for England before.
That's certainly unsettled some of the England players.
I'm afraid you have to put the Alex Hales question in that same basket.
England supporters want a nice, smooth approach to this World Cup but we know England cricket and it's unlikely to go that way.