Hales' choice offers chance for chasing pack
Alastair Cook and James Anderson will be among the high-profile England players to start the season in Specsavers County Championship action
England player availability
All the England players who toured over the last six months to UAE, South Africa and India are available for all cricket from the start of the season with the following exceptions (and those at the IPL: Eoin Morgan, Jos Buttler, Sam Billings):
Alastair Cook: Available for Essex's first four Championship fixtures
Joe Root: Available from May 1 (Notts v Yorks)
James Anderson: Available for Lancashire's first three Championship fixtures
Stuart Broad: Available from April 17 (Lancashire v Notts)
Ben Stokes: Available from April 24 (Dur v Midd)
Alex Hales: Available from May 1 (Notts v Yorks)
Moeen Ali: Available from April 24 (Glos v Worcs)
Chris Jordan: Available from May 1 (Sussex v Leics)
Reece Topley: TBC
George Dobell is a senior correspondent at ESPNcricinfo