Ian Bell

Ian Bell

Ian Ronald Bell MBE (born 11 April 1982) is an English cricketer who plays international cricket for the England cricket team. He also plays county cricket for Warwickshire County Cricket Club. He is a right-handed higher/middle order batsman, described in The Times as an "exquisite rapier," and occasional right-arm medium pace bowler. He is also noted for his sharp reflexes and often fields in close catching positions. He has scored sixteen Test centuries and two ODI 100s. He is one of only a handful of batsman to have scored a test century against all current test playing nations (this excludes Zimbabwe).

In the 2006 New Year Honours List, Ian Bell was awarded the MBE for his role in the successful Ashes campaign of 2005. In November 2006, he was awarded the Emerging Player of the Year award by the International Cricket Council. During 2008 and 2009, he was a more infrequent member of the England teams – however he reclaimed his Test place during the 2009 Ashes, which England won, and featured in several ODIs the following year. During 2010, he captained Warwickshire to victory in the CB40 final before scoring his first Ashes century the following winter as he helped England retain the Ashes down-under. Warwickshire County Cricket Club awarded Bell a benefit in 2011.

In July 2012, Bell signed a new three-year contract with Warwickshire extending his stay at the club at least till 2015.