England batting legend joins Derbyshire’s coaching staff

Former England batsmen Ian Bell has been appointed as batting consultant at Derbyshire County Cricket Club.

In 118 Test Matches, he amassed 7,727 runs at an average of 42.69, including 22 centuries and a top score of 235 against India in 2011.

His international white-ball career was equally impressive, with 5,416 runs from 161 One-Day Internationals, while the Warwickshire stalwart amassed more the 20,000 first-class runs in a career that saw him win six domestic trophies, including two County Championships, as well as coming out on top in five Ashes series.

He joins Derbyshire for the first two months of the season, where he will work alongside head of cricket, Mickey Arthur, and fellow former England international, assistant coach (bowling lead), Ajmal Shahzad.

Mickey said: “As a player, Ian had a career which any batter would be proud of, and it will be a great opportunity for our players to learn from him and develop under his coaching.

“Last season, the batting was an aspect of the squad’s game that needed to improve, so Ian’s arrival gives us a real boost.

“He has considerable international experience and that will help us continue to drive the standards we’ve set for the team.”

Ian said: “As a young coach, the opportunity to learn from one of the biggest names in the game was massive.

“Mickey has big plans for the future of Derbyshire, and I’m really excited to be part of it for the next couple of months.

“I recently had my first session with the team and there’s a lot of talent there.

“Now, it’s about making sure that it’s always on show across all formats.

“Between them, our batters have more than 100 all-formats centuries and there’s the ability to make big scores.

“My job is to help them to continue progressing and perform at their best.”