BBC SPORT | ENGLAND | Fast track for Bell

BBC Sport Online's Matthew Allen charts the meteoric rise of Ian Bell.

Ian Bell could have been forgiven for thinking he had travelled back in time when David Graveney told him to pack his bags to join the England tour in New Zealand.

Almost exactly a year ago the Warwickshire batsman was greeted at the airport by the England chairman of selectors with a ticket for the A tour in the Caribbean.

Bell had just returned from captaining England under-19s in India when he was told that he was a late replacement for the injured David Sales.

Obviously being selected for England has been a big goal for me, but I did not expect it to come so soon

Ian Bell

This time, Bell had barely started unpacking his bags from a winter in Australia with the England Cricket Academy, when Graveney was on the phone to say he was needed in New Zealand as cover for Mark Butcher.

"This is a real sense of deja vu for me after the way I was called up for the England A tour," Bell told BBC Sport Online.

"It was a very similar situation, but at least this time I had a little more time before I was told the news."

"It has been an incredible year for me, and everything has happened so quickly.

"I had a great season with Warwickshire, captained England under-19s and played for England A.

Rod Marsh
Marsh has singled out Bell for praise
"But being called up for the senior England side caps it all."

Bell has enjoyed an incredible year that started in India, where he averaged 55 with the bat for the under-19 tourists.

He then earned rave reviews with his batting in the West Indies, after being given no time to adjust to the completely different conditions.

An impressive debut against Leeward Islands saw him weather a storm of short-pitched fast bowling, batting for three hours to score 31.

Bell continued his fine form for Warwickshire, scoring 836 runs at an average of 64.3, and he finished ninth in the first class batting averages.

And to cap it all, he became the youngest ever Championship century-maker for Warwickshire, aged 19 years 115 days, with 103 against Nottinghamshire at Edgbaston in August.

England Academy director Rod Marsh has been particularly impressed with Bell's maturity, and the 19-year-old is determined not to let the success of the last 12 months go to his head.

"Obviously being selected for England has been a big goal for me, but I did not expect it to come so soon," Bell said.

I have worked a lot on my technique and mental preparation which should stand me in good stead in New Zealand

Ian Bell

"The important thing for me is that I keep my feet on the ground and keep scoring runs for Warwickshire."

Bell, who turns 20 on 11 April, feels he is ready for the challenge of playing Test cricket.

He was among the first draft of young players to enter England's new cricket Academy, and said the experience has been beneficial.

"Working with Rod Marsh and the other coaches in the Academy has really helped me.

"The whole aim of the Academy is to prepare players both technically and mentally for Test cricket.

"I have worked a lot on my technique and mental preparation which should stand me in good stead in New Zealand."

With so little time to acclimatise to conditions, it would be a difficult time to make a Test debut.

But Bell has risen to every challenge thrown his way with aplomb, and the England selectors have judged that he is ready to face the biggest Test of them all.


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