In a pretentious retirement announcement post, the fake Alex Hales account mocked India by referring to England’s 10-wicket victory, igniting a controversy.
Since Twitter introduced its subscription-based model Twitter Blue and removed the classic blue ticks from verified handles, there has been some uncertainty about the validity of a handle. Many public figures still lack a validated badge. Alex Hales of England is one of them. And, shortly after announcing his retirement from international cricket on Friday, another phoney account with the same display picture as him triggered a war of words between Indian and Pakistani cricket fans.
In a pretentious retirement announcement message, the fake account @rixzz177 mocked India by pointing to England’s 10-wicket triumph.
“It’s time to say good-by to this chapter of my life after an incredible journey on the pitch.” Thank you for the memories, the friendship, and the passion for the game. Thank you so much for your never-ending support! “170-0 is still one of my career’s most memorable innings,” he wrote.
The last part of the message irritated Indian fans, while Pakistani fans also chimed in.
Hales, who isn’t very active on Twitter, announced his retirement on Instagram. The powerful top-order batsman represented England in 156 matches in all three international formats: Tests, one-day internationals, and T20 internationals.
The 34-year-old’s most recent international appearance was in England’s T20 World Cup final victory against Pakistan in November 2022.
Hales, a white-ball specialist, averaged over 38 runs per ODI innings and 2,074 runs per T20 international innings.
However, his England career was cut short due to off-field issues.
He was fined and suspended following an incident outside a Bristol nightclub in 2017 that also involved Ben Stokes.
Hales was banned again in 2019 after testing positive for a recreational drug, losing him a spot in England’s successful squad for that year’s 50-over World Cup.
“It has been an absolute privilege to have represented my country on 156 occasions across all three formats,” Hales wrote in an Instagram post.
“I’ve made some lifelong memories and friendships, and I believe the time has come to move on.”
“Throughout my time in an England shirt, I’ve experienced some of the highest highs as well as some of the lowest lows,” he continued. It’s been a great trip, and I’m really happy that my last game for England was a World Cup final victory.”
Hales will continue to play for his county team, Nottinghamshire, as well as franchise cricket across the world.
