After what he admits has been a frustrating winter of international cricket, Nottinghamshire batsman Alex Hales is looking forward to getting back playing for his county.

The 26-year-old recently returned to the UK from the ICC Cricket World Cup where he featured in the final two group matches of England's unsuccessful campaign, making scores of 27 and 37.

And while Hales hopes to keep his place in the national team for the Royal London One Day Internationals versus New Zealand and Australia this summer, the number one item on his current agenda is scoring runs for his county.

"I had a few games in Sri Lanka where I didn't do very well and - looking back on the World Cup - it was frustrating," he said.

"I was desperate to be a part of it and to have an influence in a positive way on the tournament.

"Ever since I made my debut I have wanted to anchor down a spot at the top of the order in that team and sitting on the benches is always a tough time.

"Looking back it gave me a chance to work on my game, work on some technical things and work on my fitness. 

"And when my chance did come, against Bangladesh, I'm just disappointed I couldn't take it properly.

"I've played nine games now and haven't scored a fifty. I'm desperate to prove that I can anchor that role at the top of the order. 

"Hopefully, if I get a shot at it in the summer against good opposition, I can show that I'm ready.

"It's going to start here at Notts, performing well in four day cricket," the right-hander continued.

"I'm really looking forward to four day cricket. Not having to go out there and whack it from ball one will be quite refreshing.

"If you look around our squad, I think we've got all bases covered. We're looking to challenge in all three formats. It's an exciting season for us."

Should Hales retain his England place for the 50-over format, the former Buckinghamshire man will face a difficult challenge at the top of the order against two of the leading performing nations at the current tournament.

And although he admits that performances at the World Cup were bitterly disappointing, Hales is backing England - and Captain Eoin Morgan - to bounce back during the English summer. 

"If you look at the standard of the teams who have played in the Semi-Final, admittedly we were way off the pace.

"We'll be the first to hold our hands up and say we were very poor, almost embarrassing, so we've really got to stick together as a group, fight hard together and bounce back.

"As a unit we all know that and we all know we've got to come back stronger in the summer because there's going to be no hiding place against, probably the two best teams in one-day cricket, New Zealand and Australia.

"Eoin's a fantastic leader and in his five or six years playing international cricket he's probably been our most consistent performer," Hales added in support of his Captain.

"That [Morgan's captaincy appointment] definitely didn't hamper our preparations for the World Cup at all. If anything it was refreshing.

"Unfortunately for him his performances didn't go to plan, but he'll come back stronger. He's a tough character."

As well as the Royal London One-Day Series' against New Zealand and Australia, England have a duo of home NatWest T20 internationals to contend with in 2015.

It's a format of the game in which Hales is well established at the top of the order, averaging 37.92 from 33 appearances and occupying third place in the International Cricket Council's batting world rankings.

Retaining his place in the team for the game's shortest version is a challenge Hales has enjoyed and he still harbours ambitions of becoming established across all three formats.

"In international cricket there is always that pressure to perform," he said. "There is always people waiting in the ranks in county cricket and people who are chomping at the bit to play.

"Every game you play for England there is pressure to succeed, but that's something I've enjoyed so far in Twenty20 cricket and - if I get a proper crack in the one-dayers - hopefully I can show that I can perform at that level as well.

"If the summer comes along and I'm at the top, I'm ready to take that chance - and I've definitely still got ambitions for Test cricket.

"It starts here playing well for Notts in four day cricket and - if I get a chance in the summer in the one-day series - that's a big stepping stone."

 

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