"I look at the England side at the moment and its full of real talent": Ian Bell on England, Dom Sibley, James Anderson and his future

THOMAS BLOW: Ian Bell was a key part of England’s last great Test side – so who better to ask about the class of ’19?

August 22, 2011. England complete a 4-0 series win over India at The Oval to become the No.1 side in Test cricket. 

The victory was forced home by an imperious top order of Andrew Strauss, Alastair Cook, Ian Bell and Kevin Pietersen, with an injured Jonathan Trott waiting in the wings. 

The foursome put on 447 before the third wicket fell, laying the foundations for victory by an innings and eight runs. It was a commanding display from England’s last great Test side.

The player of the match was Bell, scoring a career-best score of 235. He is a man, therefore, who knows how to compile big runs in tough situations – a skill that has routinely deserted England’s current crop.

Many have criticised England’s class of 2019, and with good reason. In six of their first 10 innings of the summer, they’ve failed to surpass Bell’s total in that match. But the former England man isn’t too critical.

“Cricket is developing all the time and evolving,” says Bell. “When you look at the next generation of cricketers, and the way T20 has made an effect, there’s some real positive stuff, but also some areas where you can see where its different. 

“My generation of player probably grew up working on their red ball technique and [making] the foundations really solid. And then when you became a professional, you started to adapt your white ball game. 

“Whereas nowadays, a lot of the guys are playing white ball cricket they’ve got a lot of the skills – they can ramp, they can reverse – there’s a lot of that. And then what you’re teaching them when they become professionals in the red-ball game; how you bat for long periods of time, how you let the ball come.”

^{Bell was a crucial part of England's last great Test side}

And Bell believes that’s where current crop needs to improve. 

“I look at the England side at the moment and its full of real talent, but you’d probably say there’s quite a lot of real counter-attacking players who, if they get in and there’s a platform, can take anyone apart,” he says.

“Technically, in certain areas, maybe defence or leaving the ball, there’s stuff to improve on… but the other day at Headingley, we saw glimpses there. We know Joe [Root] is a world, world-class player – probably our one world-class batsman – and Joe Denly for a period…

“They played that old-fashioned style of Test cricket, which laid the platform then for an amazing day four, where we saw Ben Stokes get through the hard bit, and then switch into T20 mode by the end to win us an amazing game of cricket.

“The ability is all there. These guys will adapt but it’s going to take a bit of time.”

But some of them may not get time. Changes look likely ahead of a busy winter in New Zealand, South Africa and Sri Lanka as England look to compete in the new ICC World Test Championship. 

Moeen Ali will come back into the fold, and don’t rule out recalls for Ben Foakes and Dawid Malan. There’s also been a lot of attention paid to the talents of Lewis Gregory, Tom Banton and Sam Northeast, among others. 

But the man who has been discussed the most is Bell’s Warwickshire colleague, Dom Sibley. The opener has scored three centuries in his opening 10 Championship games this year and is the highest run scorer in Division One, averaging 55.82. 

The pick of his innings this season came against Kent, when he hit 244 off 491 in a superb display of disciplined and skilful batting. And it wasn’t the first time he went big. In 2013, he became the youngest double centurion in County Championship history with 242 off 536 against Yorkshire.

Of all his qualities, its perhaps his patience which has really caught the eye. In an era when county cricket’s best batsmen are looking to score quickly – Northeast is striking at 59.61 this year, Joe Denly at 60.87, Daniel Bell-Drummond at 52.94 – Sibley hasn’t been rushed; striking at 41.28 (as of September 9).

His performances and attributes have impressed his experienced colleague, who believes he has what it takes to be part of England’s top three. 

“When I look around county cricket at the moment, there’re very few guys who are old-fashioned type players. If he [Sibley] gets in, he goes big. From his time with Surrey – when he got a big double-hundred – to what he’s done for us this year, he is the kind of guy that if he gets in, he can bat for a long period of time.

“He’s not just going to go all guns blazing. He would be somebody that I believe has the ability to adapt to that level [Test cricket].”

^{Dom Sibley is the leading run-scorer in Division One this year}

Bell praises Sibley’s bold choice to reject a three-year contract at Surrey and join the Midlands club. 

“He made a big decision in his life to move to Warwickshire from Surrey, which is not an easy one; the easy option would have been to stay.

“He came here and I saw a guy that works incredibly hard, made some big sacrifices last winter, and he’s getting the rewards this summer from making really tough decisions. 

“And when you get to that next level, you have to make tough decisions… which for me is what you need to do if you’re to be successful in Test cricket and international cricket.

“We don’t have a crystal ball to see how he’ll go, but what I’m seeing is a guy that’s dedicated. He’s making sacrifices and deserves an opportunity when that time comes around.”

As the five-time Ashes winner rightly suggests, there is no way to predict the future, and Sibley – or just one individual for that matter – may not be the answer to England’s prayers. 

Bell believes the best way forward is to alter the selection process; looking at county cricket and finding a defiant front three, rather than picking players to grow into the role. 

“When I’m looking at that England side now, I’d be looking around county cricket. Even if the top three are all openers for England in the winter, I’d be looking at those guys who can deal with the new ball in county cricket. 

“If one of them has to bat number three, that’s fine, because we know that England side now, if we can get a platform at the top, from Joe [Root] at four to allrounders and stroke players at five, six, seven, eight, then we’ll be a good side.

“I’d be looking at who gets through the new ball, who is challenging themselves in county cricket in the top three; I’d only be picking people out of the top three in their counties.”

And, as a county pro, is there any particular players who have impressed him? 

“Zak Crawley at Kent looks a fine player; had a good season. I quite like him; technically a nice player. 

“Don’t know him that well, but he’s someone you hear talked about and I have seen him on the field when I played against him last year, and I saw him hit a 100 this year at the start of the season. So again, somebody who can bat time. 

“Obviously, Dom Sibley. Sam Hain has probably done well more in white-ball cricket, generally, for Warwickshire in the last couple of years; he’s got a couple of hundreds. Again, he has the ability and it’s up to him to keep putting in them performances.

“They’re probably the two stand out players [Crawley and Sibley] in red-ball cricket, and hopefully they’ll be more that will come through.”

^{Zak Crawley has impressed many pundits in 2019}

With all us this talk of potential candidates, it’s easy to forget that less than a year ago, there was talk of Bell making an England comeback. Frustratingly, injury curtailed his chances – and the majority of his 2019 campaign. 

Aged 37, it would be no surprise if he decided to call it a day. But Bell has no intention of retiring any time soon. 

“I ruptured a ligament in my foot in the PSL, which was quite a long and nasty injury; cost me a lot of time. And the problem with any long-term injury when you’re not playing is that the rest of your body is a bit under match fit. 

“I pushed to get myself back as quickly as I could, and unfortunately then I tore a tendon in my left knee. My foot at the moment actually feels fine to play, but because of the rehab it looks like my season is over. 

“They’ll be a period of getting as sharp and as fit as I can through the winter, ready to go for next April.”

Bell isn’t the only member of England’s 2011 squad to have his future questioned. James Anderson’s potential retirement is also being discussed. But Bell believes his former colleague can star in Test cricket once again.

“The guy is a warrior. He’s a guy that will say ‘tape me up, get me out there, I will play.’ And I think that’s the key. We’ve got a lot of bowlers, and I think bowling is a skill game, but you’ve also got to have a lot of mental resilience. Physically, you’ve got to know what’s an injury and what’s a niggle.  

“And Jimmy, if you take away the skill, I’d have him in the team purely because he wants to bowl. He’s a competitor and you have to be. Hopefully we’ll see him in an England shirt again… we’re a much better team when he’s in it.”