'This won't give you a taxi driver job in London dude' - Twitter reacts as Alex Hales' fake account stirs up heated exchange between Ind - Pak fans

The introduction of Twitter's Blue subscription-based model and the removal of verified blue ticks from handles have given rise to confusion over the authenticity of accounts. Even public figures like England cricketer Alex Hales find themselves without a verified badge. 

After announcing his retirement from international cricket, an unexpected turn of events occurred when a fake account using his profile picture stirred up a heated exchange between Indian and Pakistan cricket fans.

The handle @rixzz177, impersonating Hales, took a dig at India, referring to England's 10-wicket victory in a seemingly pretentious retirement post. The tweet read, "After an incredible journey on the pitch, it's time to bid farewell to this chapter of my life. Grateful for the memories, the camaraderie, and the love of the game. Thank you all for your unwavering support! 170-0 is still one of the most memorable innings of my career."

This particular line didn't sit well with Indian fans, and soon, Pakistan fans also joined the argument. Hales, known for his limited Twitter activity, chose to announce his retirement on Instagram.  The 34-year-old batter played a crucial role in England's T20 World Cup final victory against Pakistan in November 2022. 

However, Hales' cricketing journey was plagued by off-field incidents. A 2017 altercation outside a Bristol nightclub involving Ben Stokes led to fines and suspension for him. Furthermore, in 2019, he faced another ban after testing positive for a recreational drug, causing him to miss out on England's victorious squad in the 50-over World Cup that year.

Notably, Hales had previously scored an impressive 86 not out off 47 balls during a T20 World Cup semi-final match against India last year. England emerged victorious with a score of 170-0 against India's 168-6.

While the fake account's tweet provided Pakistani fans with amusement, Indian fans responded unfavourably, sparking a war of words on Twitter.