Ian Bell Profile by CricketArchive

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Player:

IR Bell

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DateLine: 20th February 2007

 

An attractive stroke player Ian Bell of late has proved to be a tower of strength to the England middle order whether in Tests or ODIs. Technically sound and temperamentally strong Bell loves playing shots but when the situation demands he can play the anchor role to perfection. A keen student of the game Bell is a former England Under-19 captain. Given his big break against the West Indies in the fourth Test at the Oval in 2004 Bell marked his debut with a splendid 70. Against Bangladesh the following season he feasted on the hapless attack with unbeaten scores of 65 and 162 in the two Tests. Predictably he found the going tougher against the Australians and could only score 171 runs in ten innings. But he kept his place throughout the series largely because of his notable double of 59 and 65 in the third Test at Manchester when he displayed his fighting qualities. He was Englands chief run getter on the tour of Pakistan in the 2005-06 season getting 313 runs with a century and two fifties in the three Tests. Back home during 2006 he was at his sublime best hitting three centuries in successive Tests against Pakistan besides coming good in the ODI series too.