Thursday 19 November 2015 21:48, UK
Ian Bell's omission from England's tour of South Africa must spell the end of his Test career, says Bob Willis.
Bell, 33, has scored only one Test hundred century since July 2014 - the 143 he made against West Indies in North Sound in April - and has been dropped after averaging 25.05 in 24 innings across the calendar year paving the way for Nick Compton and Gary Ballance to earn recalls in a 16-man squad.
National selector James Whitaker insists Bell's international career is not over while the player himself has tweeted his disappointment at missing out and intention to reclaim his place.
Despite Bell's sub-par form, though, Willis said the Warwickshire batsman's exclusion is a shock decision from the selectors.
"It's a huge surprise and it must flag the end of Ian's career," said the former England fast bowler.
"I know platitudes come out from the selectors saying 'he's got plenty more to offer England' but if he's not going to offer it against the best side in the world, when is he?
"England are well short of experience in the batting department; I would have thought that Ian Bell would have had to have been a must for this tour so it's a very big surprise.
"He's had a lot of low scores in 2015 - it has been a dreadful year for him - but he is a quality player. If you remember Alastair Cook was scratching around for a year or more in search of a fifty or a hundred.
"Given the state of England's batting, with only Cook and Joe Root scoring runs on a regular basis I would have thought that Ian Bell's presence in that side was absolutely vital as England are turning back the clock by going with Gary Ballance and Nick Compton, both of whom have been out of the side for a while now.
"It does show that the batting cupboard is pretty bare when it looks for new talent."
With Alex Hales likely to open the innings alongside Cook, Bell's absence would appear to leave Ballance and Compton to vie for the number three spot in England's line-up.
Compton, 32, notched two hundreds in nine Tests before he was dropped after scoring seven off 45 balls against New Zealand in 2013.
Ballance - who has four Test hundreds to his name - was also given the nudge by the selectors after a run of just one fifty in 10 innings - his last knock coming in this summer's Ashes Test at Lord's.
Willis said he expects the selectors to go with Yorkshireman Ballance over Compton for the first Test against South Africa.
"I would have thought that three would be Ballance's position - either he or Compton will bat there," said Willis.
"Compton has been mooted as an opening partner for Cook since he was left out of the side but I would have thought he'd be in direct competition with Ballance for that spot, with Alex Hales getting an opportunity at the top of the order, Root coming in at four and a rejuvenated James Taylor at five.
"I thought Nick was a little bit unlucky to get the chop when he did because he got a couple of centuries for England but then he got completely bogged down before he got dropped - he couldn't hit the ball off the square and the selectors left him out.
"Nick is a very, very fine player; he's had a decent season for Middlesex without being outstanding.
"England are looking for somebody responsible and capable in that number three position and if it isn't going to be Gary Ballance, then I would expect it to be Nick Compton."
He added: "Taylor did very well in the Test matches that he played in the UAE. He is a fine player of spin bowling and he'll play Imran Tahir very well.
"But he's going to have to find another feather in his cap to play against South Africa, who have the most ominous pace attack in the world with Dale Steyn, Morne Morkel and Vernon Philander.
"He will have to play well against pace bowling but he's shown that he's got the temperament for the job."
BOB's FIRST TEST XI: Cook, Hales, Ballance, Root, Taylor, Stokes, Buttler, Moeen Ali, Broad, Anderson, Footitt.
Watch England's tour of South Africa on Sky Sports, starting with the first Test on Boxing Day.
