So with KP gone for the remainder of the npower Ashes test series. Enter the ring... Ian Ronald Bell?
Yes it would seem so. Bell will make his return to the England side for the 3rd test match in the highly-anticipated Edgbaston duel starting next week. I, for one, am pleased to see him back in the test side after a five month absence. However, I am sure that Bell won't be so pleased that his re-appearance is only due to the loss of England's most prolific batsman, Kevin Pietersen.
His record for England is solid but not outstanding. In his 46 tests, Bell has made 3004 runs at an average of 40.59 per innings. In 2008, he was named one of the Wisden Cricketer's of the year after impressive displays against New Zealand. He was ear-marked for greatness from a young age and burst onto the county scene with Warwickshire in 1999 and was in the Enland set-up only a year or two later. His first test in 2004 was against a touring West Indies side at the Oval and Bell hit a confident 70 batting at five for England.
Ian Bell is the ultimate form player. When he's in form, he looks majestic at the crease. When out of touch, as he was in the Carribbean earlier this year and back in the 2005 Ashes Series, you continually wonder if the next ball he faces will be his last. In the 2005 series, Bell only made a timid 171 runs in ten innings. But Bell has been firing on all cylinders for Warwickshire this season with 640 runs at an average of 80.00, with twice hitting three figures for his counties.
Doubters remain about his ability to withstand intense pressure as he will face next Thursday, but I firmly believe Bell has what it takes. I love watching him, an extremely elegant batsman, partially in the mold of Michael Vaughan, partially in his own mold. Here's what Vaughan has to say about Bell; "If he just relaxes and plays he's got so much talent. He needs to not try to play the perfect innings. He should just play it in his natural way and I'm sure things will happen".
So come on Ian Ronald Bell, prove me right!
