England veteran Ian Bell, omitted from the upcoming limited-overs series against Australia, called time on his one-day international career to concentrate on his Test job.
The 33-year-old Bell insists he is determined to carry on in international cricket following talks with his family, England coach Trevor Bayliss and captain Alastair Cook.
“I’ve decided now is the right time to officially stand down from international one-day cricket and put all my focus and attention on my Test career,” Bell, who is the leading run-getter for England in ODIs, wrote in his Metro newspaper column.
“I’ve a huge amount still to give in the Test arena and still have so many ambitions left to achieve, both from a personal and a team perspective. I spoke with Trevor Bayliss, Paul Farbrace and Alastair Cook in the aftermath of the Oval Test. We had a really good talk and I was as honest as I could be.
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“Deep down though, I think I probably knew I wasn’t ready to call time on my England Test career. I still have that hunger and desire. The day you don’t, is the day you step away.”
Bell was not at his best during England’s recent 3-2 Ashes series win, apart from two fifties in the third Test at his Edgbaston home ground, and averaged a mere 26.87 in nine innings.
Cook, speaking after the Ashes, was adamant he wanted the experienced Bell in England’s squad for tough upcoming series away to Pakistan in the UAE and in South Africa.
