England's World Cup contender Alex Hales has been suspended for 21 days for failing a drug test. According to a report in the Guardian, Hales is currently serving a 21-day ban after returning a second positive test, having pulled out of Nottinghamshire's Royal London Cup campaign, shortly after the World Cup squad was announced, for undisclosed "personal reasons".

Named last week in England's preliminary World Cup squad, Hales was found to be at variance with England and Wales Cricket Board's (ECB) recreational drugs policy for the second time in his career.