Cricket: England's Ian Bell - For Whom Does the Bell Toll?

For a number of years now, Ian Bell has been an untouchable member of England's batting lineup.  

Praised for his wonderful technique and classical style at the crease, he backs this up with a solid average of 41.79 and a decent tally of eight centuries. Stylistically and statistically very, very sound.

But there is more to the game of cricket than style and statistics—the best players are ones that can change a game; can win a game by doing something special.

Today at Trent Bridge, following another failure from Ian Bell and the rest of the  top order, England found themselves at 85 for 5.  What was needed was a batsman to dig in, frustrate the bowlers, and put some runs on the board.

Kevin Pietersen obliged with a match-saving 115, helped by Tim Ambrose's 67, to leave them 273 for 7 at the close of play. Respectable.

Kevin Pietersen has not been in the best of form in recent months, but the fact remains—he has proven he is capable of changing a game, and often changing it quickly.

Ian Bell by contrast has never once delivered a match by saving/changing innings.

It is interesting to note that none of his eight centuries came in matches where the top order struggled.  Only two of his centuries have even been the top score of the innings.

The two centuries he did top score with, against Bangladesh in 2005 and Pakistan in 2006, were accompanied by centuries from Marcus Trescothick and Kevin Pietersen respectively.

Not once has he stood up on his own and produced top quality innings when his team needed it most.

He has produced two good scores recently—the first, a half century in a lost cause in Hamilton, and a century in Napier where England already had a very comfortable lead when he came to the crease.

Pundits say he should be given time to recover his form, much like Andrew Strauss has been given time.  But for me, the difference is that Strauss had shown in his career the ability to change matches and deserved his chances to get back in form.

Bell has still not proven to me that he warrants a place on the team. Gifted as he is, to me he is little more than a luxury player.