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[The_Bird]

His place will still be under threat until he does it in the bigger games. Cook and Pieterson have earned the right to be in the team without a heartbeat. Bell has played enough cricket and has enough ability to have been in the same boat. But he hasn't stood up in the important games.

[FattusCattus]

So what is he supposed to do, give his wicket away and put his feet up because it's not a so called 'big game'?

No he's supposed to score runs in a presure situation, or when it really counts when we want to win a series. He's given his wicket away on numerous occasions with a rash or silly shot, when we really needed to win the game.

....and an average and strike rate can be inflated by scoring easy runs in meaningless games.

I'm happy for you to prove me wrong, but my personal impression is that he is a fine, fine player, who has got out cheaply in pressure situations or in games we have to win by playing rash shots.

[fros23]

I am happy to admit that he hasn't always performed when we would hope he would but only 9 other englishman have scored a hundred in India in an ODI, so I think it's a bit unfair to criticise him for that.

It's like when everybody kept going on that he hadn't scored a century in a test without someone else getting one first when the majority of the time he was coming in at 5 or 6, so the odds of that happening where always stacked against him.

[FattusCattus]

I think he's a test no.5 and not a no.3, and i think he's a good one.

However I've watched enough England cricket over the last few years to think he's a bit suss under pressure.

Same bowling attack, similar conditions (in fact more bowler friendly today than last week).

Anyway, it's not a witch-hunt, I really want the guy to do well - I just want hime to score a dificult, match-changing ton like I feel Strauss, Cook, Trott and KP have all done.

[henrywill5d]

TT Bresnan has taken 4 wickets and it is the turning point of game. ST Finn also have dominated on bowling line.Afterall england won by 7 wickets.

[tim2000s]

Bell gets a lot of stick, yet when you look at his record side by side with Hick's, ODI wise they have very similar averages, but Bell's Test performances are a lot better.

[Kulli]

Bell gets a lot of stick, yet when you look at his record side by side with Hick's, ODI wise they have very similar averages, but Bell's Test performances are a lot better.

Bell's played in a hell of a lot more successful England side than Hick ever did though. And although he's played his part in that, he's not been one of the key men.

[johnnyw]

Hick also did not get to play tests against the likes of Bangladesh

[The_Bird]

In 6 games Ian Bell has scored 633 runs @ 158.25 vs Bangladesh haha

[tim2000s]

In 6 games Ian Bell has scored 633 runs @ 158.25 vs Bangladesh haha

Which is better than Pietersen's record v Bangladesh

[Kulli]

Which is better than Pietersen's record v Bangladesh

Was always going to be the case with their barrage of SLA's.

[PedalsMcgrew]

I can't believe that people still point to Ian Bell's century against SA as some kind of turning point in his career.......it obviously wasn't otherwise these discussions wouldn't still be going on! Average player who could be replaced quite comfortably with no discernible impact on the England side.

[Buzz]

I think the real question here is not whether Ian Bell is or is not a class player, more how good would Hick have been under the current management regime.
answer: an all time great, in my view.

[tim2000s]

I think the real question here is not whether Ian Bell is or is not a class player, more how good would Hick have been under the current management regime.
answer: an all time great, in my view.

I think you are correct. Would Ramps have been different under the current management regime as well?

[PedalsMcgrew]

Ramps could have been one of the best of his generation. Not sure so much about Hick but he would of been given a fairer chance....