So, Is Ian Bell a Lion or a lamb?
The Nurdler is a bit puzzled. And wherefore?
Well, here’s what we read about Ian Bell in the blog of BBC Sport’s Oliver Brett on January 7, following the Newlands Test when player ratings were being handed out:
“Ian Bell – 9. His big century in Durban silenced one batch of detractors, and his four-and-three-quarter-hour innings here will give further evidence of his growing maturity. Has done pretty well since his recall halfway through the Ashes.” Read the full piece here.
This quote is from Yahoo Eurosport’s Cow Corner blog also on January 7 under the headline England Saved By The Bell:
“Praise for Ian Bell has always been tempered with the widespread assumption that he only performs in cushy circumstances, but England’s number six shattered that suggestion with a dogged 78 off 213 balls. Bell, who occasionally has been derided for his dismissals in pressure situations, was utterly faultless as he and Collingwood defended obdurately to defy South Africa and claim an improbable draw.” Read the full piece here.
And here’s what Aggers had to say about him a day later:
“Whereas at Centurion in the first Test it was a case of England getting away with it after performing very poorly, I think that this time it was a draw that was very much well-earned as the team batted for a very long time. The batting of Paul Collingwood and Ian Bell, in particular, was extremely good and very disciplined and, in fact, England should have drawn the match much more comfortably than they did in the end.” Read the full piece here.
And finally, from a Cricinfo report on the Fourth Test:
“Flower was also impressed by Bell’s contribution, which followed his 140 in the second Test at Durban, and his career appears to have turned a corner. ‘His big hundred in Durban, that contributed to getting us into a winning position, and then a match-saving innings yesterday certainly will make him feel personally more confident,’ he said. ‘It was good for us to see that he can perform like that under pressure again.’ Read the full piece here.
Pretty unequivocal stuff. Bell’s batting has turned a corner. He has impressed Andy Flower. His play was extremely disciplined and he has silenced his detractors, showing increasing maturity in the process.
So what does he gain at this point from being sent to play for the Lions against Pakistan in the United Arab Emirates for the limited-overs games taking place in February? Possibly taking part in a tour match against his England colleagues in the process?
Is this simply the best way for him to brush up his one-day game having got himself together in the long form? National selector Geoff Miller pointed out to the BBC that Bell had been left out of the one-day squad for South Africa and now had an “opportunity to force his way back in.”
Was it, perhaps, settled before his recent run of form? But is it honestly going to give him more confidence than an under-pressure century against a top Test nation?
Will it do the job? And does it risk putting the mockers on his Test game again?
We would love to hear your comments.
Tags: England Lions, Ian Bell, ODI
This entry was posted on Tuesday, January 12th, 2010 at 22:46 and is filed under 50-over, England squad. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
JackieL Says: