Nasser Hussain feels England should not recall Ian Bell for winter tours
Saturday 27 August 2016 12:10, UK
Nasser Hussain feels England would be taking a backward step if they recalled Ian Bell for the winter Test tours to Bangladesh and India.
Bell has not played international cricket since he won his 118th Test cap against Pakistan in November, but has been mentioned as a potential candidate to solve England's recent batting problems.
Nick Compton, Gary Ballance, Alex Hales and James Vince have all recently struggled to cement a position in the side, meaning head coach Trevor Bayliss could turn to Bell's experience of sub-continent conditions later this year.
But former England skipper Hussain would prefer to see a younger player given an opportunity to impress, rather than hand 34-year-old Bell a comeback.
"There is no doubting Ian Bell's class and his record in the sub-continent - I think he averages over 40 in the sub-continent," said Hussain, at the launch of the new Sky Sports Mix channel (407 on the Sky EPG).
"But he didn't have a good time of it in the UAE recently and that is why he was left out.
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"I would personally like to look to the future, especially with the tour of Bangladesh. I don't see the mileage of taking Bell, albeit a fantastic player, so I would look to the future.
"But they have gone for a couple of players like Vince who haven't done much and might want that consistent solidity that Ian Bell would bring.
"I personally would look to, especially in Bangladesh, blood a youngster and give a youngster an opportunity.
"Whether that youngster be (Ben) Duckett, who has not just done it in one-day cricket, or other lads like (Tom) Westley, (Daniel) Bell-Drummond, (Scott) Borthwick... There are other lads who have done fine things this summer.
"It would be a bit of a backward step but I understand that they keep giving people chances and they are not taking them, so there is that temptation to go back to Ian Bell who is a very fine international cricketer."
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