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Former England opener Alex Hales is confident he has matured as a player and believes he is ready to make a return to international cricket.
Hales was banned from the England national team setup after being caught with recreational drugs in his system.
The incident led to a change in the Three Lions recreational drug policy, which means if he was caught today he would've received a hefty fine but would not have missed any games.
Regardless, though, he has not been considered for the England squad at all since his ban elapsed.
Hales believes he was in the form of his life before the enforced break in action due to the coronavirus pandemic and believes he has matured significantly as a player in his time away from international cricket.
"Like Morgs has said, I guess time is the biggest healer. I just don't know how long that is going to go on for, that's the only thing. I honestly have no idea," he told the Daily Mail.
"Obviously, I'd love to get my place back. Playing international cricket is the highlight of any player's career and I still think I've got a lot to offer, particularly in T20.
"I certainly feel I have matured, as a player and away from the game, and hopefully I'll get the chance to show that in the group environment again. It can be tough to rebuild that trust when you are not in the close-knit circles.
"This is the best I've played in my career. My England career has been pretty good so far in T20 and that's not even playing to the best of my ability. I'd love to get that chance again. I've moved on and grown from the mistakes I've made in my private life and, hopefully, people can forgive and forget. Hopefully, I get that chance again because I feel I'm in a good head space."
- TEAMtalk media
