Ian Bell: News

His graceful cover drives and composed presence despite what was going on at the other end are things England missed when cricketer Ian Bell retired in 2015. Described by Dayle Hadlee as the best 16-year-old he had ever seen, Bell began his first-class career in 1999 for Warwickshire but he broke into the first XI only in 2001. Bell's international debut came against West Indies in a Test match in 2004. His ODI debut came against Zimbabwe in 2004. As a player who thrived in pressure situations in the later stages of his career, Bell performed better when the pressure was off early on in his career. Throughout his career, he was adept at leaving balls outside the off-stump. This made him a valuable Test player. As a player who had difficulty against Australians at the beginning of his career, he had one of the best series of his career against the same opposition. In the 2013 Ashes series, he became the first player since 1986 to score centuries in three consecutive Ashes Tests. Bell last played for England in 2015.