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to be laid low by back spasms and Sam Billings to dislocate his shoulder during a county game, Alex Hales was on Monday withdrawn from the England squads reportedly due to his involvement with recreational drugs.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.
