Illustriously Beamy here is a testimony of Ian Bell’s Test career

Illustriously Beamy here is a testimony of Ian Bell’s Test career: Ian Ronal Bell has been one of the better batsmen that England and its cricket have seen. A technically sound Right-hand top order batsman, he impressed all the right people within the first 13 matches of his First Class and thus made his way into the English test squad at the turn of 20th year of his life. Though it took him a while to debut, it was the England vs. West Indies test at the Oval in 2004 that he was handed over a test cap, but has ensured he is a part of the elite group of cricketers who have managed to represent England in over 100 test matches.

Right from the start of his career, the foresighted saw in him a champion player for England, this would have surely boosted his confidence but also added the pressure of expectations. Bell took some time to get accustomed and to cement himself in the test squad, but once he was comfortable and in control of what he was doing, the Warwickshire batsman has grown on to become a stanchion for his team.

Bell in his career spanning around 15 years has seen their cricket rise to the high’s of not three Ashes wins (in 2005, 2009 & 2013) but also acquiring and maintaining the number 1 test team status. Till today he has played 106* test matches for England and has scored 7299 runs at an average of 45.61, he is among the top ten leading run scorers for the country in test cricket. Not just these runs, but the importance of the knocks they have come with is of a far more value and worth appreciation.

It was just yesterday that he reached the 22nd test hundred in his career which also has 42 half-centuries. In terms of numbers he has now equaled the legendary Geoffrey Boycott and is one behind Kevin Pietersen and at a distance of another couple of hundreds is England skipper Alastair Cook who with 25 is the leading century scorer for the country in the format.

Ian Bell today is among the most reliable names in the team and to an extent their batting revolves around him. Being someone who is a natural leaver of the ball, Bell likes to get the sense of the wicket early on into his innings, and gradually lets the ball find its perfect place on the bat and follows it up with striking them together more often. It is this combination of patience, and ability to score runs continuously that give him the wings to play the big knocks that he does. The highest test score for this 33 years old batsman in test cricket is 235 which traces back to 2011 against India in the series where England white washed the visitors 4-0.

Along with his excellent test career Ian has also performed exceedingly well in ODIs and with 5416 runs in 161 matches is the All time leading run-scorer for the country in 50-overs cricket. He also has 4 hundreds and 35 fifties to his credit in the format.
Though English cricket is in all sorts of troubles and at a new low at the moment, with not only on-field performances and failures but also with what has been happening in the ECB. If the board and the nation which invented the game, actually wishes to get back on track, the players should be allowed their share of freedom and at the same time the focus should be cricket centric, with minimal political interactions and interference.

I certainly look at Ian Bell as the guy who has all it needs to handle the console of English cricket, though not necessarily as the skipper but certainly should be motivated, encouraged and lifted to make his bat do the deeds and carter English cricket to the routes of greens once again and ensure a smooth transition, where the older lot will be replaced by fresh talent; his experience of having played at various positions and around the world against the best in the world pacers and spinners should be utilized, preserved and served.