England opening batter Alex Hales, returning to the side after more than three years, blasted a half-century as the visitors defeated Pakistan by six wickets with four balls to spare to take a 1-0 lead in the seven-match T20I series at the National Stadium here. With Pakistan and England priming for the ICC T20 World Cup 2022 in Australia, Hales' stunning return to the international game -- aided by seven boundaries -- and Harry Brook's hitting at the back end, helped England overhaul Pakistan's 158/7 in 19.2 overs.

With Hales giving a superb account of himself in just his maiden outing for England in three-and-a-half years, the opener could well be a key player in their campaign in the T20 World Cup 2022 next month. The opener moved England to 47/1 from the powerplay with Phil Salt (10) and Dawid Malan (20), and pushed along all the way until the 17th over, where he eventually fell to Haris Rauf.