England star batter Alex Hales has opted out from the upcoming England tour of Bangladesh in order to honour his Pakistan Super League (PSL) contract.

England will face Bangladesh in three T20Is and the same number of ODIs from March 1 to 14. However, England’s tour will clash with the PSL which is slated to take place from February 13 to March 19.

Hales, who has been a double PSL winner with Karachi Kings and Islamabad United, will be available for the entire PSL8.

“The first time I came to play PSL in Pakistan was with Islamabad United,” said Hales in a statement released by Islamabad United.

This will be his fifth season with franchises as he reflects on his journey with the two-time PSL champions. “Everyone talks about how we operate like a family and how everyone looks after each other,” he said. “Last season, the franchise stood by me in a tough situation and respected my decision hence I had no qualms about returning for the playoff games.”

Last year, the 34-year-old decided to pull out of the PSL mid-season because of the bio-bubble toll during the Covid-19 pandemic.

“This year as well, I have made myself available because I love this team and the free brand of cricket we play at Islamabad United,” he added.

The right-hander was also excited to represent the Shadab Khan-led unit in their home ground.

“The thing that excites me the most is playing in Rawalpindi this year,” Hales said. “I got an opportunity to play a few matches at the venue, it is one of the best batting pitches. So I am looking forward to it. Want to experience Islamabad’s home crowd as well, I have heard they are absolutely electric.”

It is worth mentioning here that, Hales made his long-awaited England return at the T20 World Cup last year.

During England’s title-winning campaign, the batter scored 212 runs including an unbeaten 86 against India in the semifinal.