England exile Ian Bell can boost Warwickshire

Apr 21 2009 by Brian Halford, Birmingham Post

Ian Bell’s desire to re-establish himself in the England team is as deep as it has been well-documented in the last week.

Having been dropped for the last three Test matches of the winter series in the West Indies, Bell has been forced to reacquaint himself with the challenges of being on the outside looking in to an England side of which he has been pretty much part of the furniture for four years.

He has not enjoyed it. And he is passionate about ending his exile from a Test arena in which he averages a healthy 40.59 with the bat from 46 games.

But that is not the beginning and end of Bell’s career ambitions. Unlike some cricketers who spent much of their time at the top level, the former Princethorpe boy is just as passionate about playing for the county he represents.

The 27-year-old, Warwickshire through and through having been with them since he was 10, does not regard county service as a chore. And he wants to do everything he can to restore the Bears to the force they were when he was just a boy coming through the system in the 1990s

“I love playing for Warwickshire,” Bell said. “It is a massive part of my life.