Alex Hales story: Jofra Archer and six others who can replace opener in England's World Cup squad

Will the England and Wales Cricket Board pick the talented all-rounder or opt for a like-for-like replacement?

Opener Alex Hales was withdrawn from all England squads, which means he won't be involved in the World Cup. Who will replace him? Ed Sykes / Reuters

Jofra Archer, right, is not a like-for-like replacement nor has he played any international cricket. But the 24-year-old all-rounder is considered one for the future and, even though he is not in the preliminary World Cup squad, he will be involved in the home ODI series against Pakistan. Bikas Das / AP Photo

Hampshire batsman James Vince offers flexibility to the team in that he can open as well as play in the middle-order. He is not in any of England's squads at the moment, but the national selectors will have sit up and take notice of his 190 in a One-Day Cup match against Gloucestershire. He also has international experience, having represented England in 13 Tests, six ODIs and seven T20Is. Harry Trump / Getty Images

At 31, Dawid Malan is considered a veteran, at least in English county cricket. He did well in the Pakistan Super League when it was held in the UAE and, even though he did not play a single game on England's tour of the West Indies recently, it is clear he is in the mix. The left-hander also made an unbeaten 160 in Middlesex's County Championship season opener. Chris Whiteoak / The National

Ben Duckett has already been asked to join England's ODI squad for Friday's match against Ireland and a T20 clash with Pakistan on Sunday. The 24-year-old played the last of his three ODIs in 2016, but he top-scored with 86 for Nottinghamshire in a One-Day Cup match against Leicestershire last week. Pawan Singh / The National

Surrey batsman Ben Foakes sparkled in his debut Test series in Sri Lanka, so he is not short on confidence. The thing that might go against him is the fact England already have two wicketkeepers in their squad in Jos Buttler and Jonny Bairstow. But Foakes has already been roped in as a replacement for Sam Billings ahead of the Ireland tour and, if he does well, he could be picked purely as a batsman. Stu Forster / Getty Images

Another player who won't be a like-for-like replacement for Hales, Sam Curran is a young but tried-and-tested all-rounder whose brilliance with bat and ball was one of the reasons why England beat India in their home Test series last summer. Like Archer, he could be an unlikely game-changer in the 50-over game as well. Mike Hewitt / Getty Images

Liam Livingstone has played just two T20Is, but he has gained notoriety for his six-hitting abilities. The 25-year-old shone during the Pakistan Super League in the UAE this season, and he has used the long handle for Rajasthan Royals in the ongoing Indian Premier League competition. Vishal Bhatnagar / AP Photo

England may be the 2019 Cricket World Cup hosts and hot favourites to win the game's flagship tournament for the first time. But they have a personnel availability problem at hand right now.

As if it was not enough for regular opener Jason Roy to be laid low by back spasms and Sam Billings to dislocate his shoulder during a county game, Alex Hales was on Monday withdrawn from the England squads reportedly due to his involvement with recreational drugs.

The good news for the England selectors is they have plenty of good-quality options waiting in the wings. But the question on their minds will be whether to replace Hales with an opening batsman, or someone who offers more flexibility with the bat, or someone who can bowl as well as bat.

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Jofra Archer's talent and temperament have been talking points over the past few months thanks to strong performances from the all-rounder in Australia's Big Bash League and the ongoing Indian Premier League. While he is not in England's preliminary World Cup squad, he has been picked to play in the upcoming Pakistan series.

His challenge is he has no international experience whatsoever, but, as has been pointed out by staff writer Paul Radley on The Cricket Pod, he has shown strength of character inside packed stadiums in Australia and India, which suggests he is more likely to succeed in the pressure-cooker environment of a World Cup.

To find out who else could replace Hales, browse through the photo gallery above. To move on to the next position, click the arrows on the photo, or if using a mobile device simply swipe left/right.