Australia’s white-ball captain Aaron Finch has joined the Kolkata Knight Riders team for the 2022 edition of the Indian Premier League as a replacement for England opener Alex Hales, who pulled out of the tournament citing bubble fatigue.
Hales played for Sydney Thunder in the 2021-22 Big Bash League, the team that was most affected by COVID-19. Having played 13 matches in the BBL, Hales’ next T20 assignment was in Pakistan for the PSL. He played in seven matches for Islamabad United before pulling out due to bubble fatigue. He did, however, rejoin the team ahead of the playoffs stage.
“Having spent the last four months away from home in restrictive bio bubbles and having tested positive for COVID myself in Australia, I don’t feel as though I can commit myself to another extended period within a secure environment,” Hales said in a statement on Twitter. “I wouldn’t be fair on the team or myself if I wasn’t able to perform to the level expected of me as a result of ongoing bubble fatigue.”
