Two discarded England cricketers still hoping for a national team recall

Bell has played 118 Tests for England.

Ian Bell and Tom Westley. (Cricket Australia)

While many ex England players like Kevin Pietersen, Michael Vaughan, Andrew Flintoff have taken to commentary, Veteran batsman Ian Bell, who turns 36 on Wednesday and discarded No.3 Tom Westley (29)  are still furnishing dreams of a national comeback. 

The duo will be turning out for Warwickshire and Essex respectively as the race for a spot in England's Test batting order heats up.

Bell played his last Test in November 2015 and with the England middle order looking rather feeble after the retirement of Kevin Pietersen, Bell is keeping his chances open. 

"You can never say never. Who knows what's around the corner?" Bell told the Daily Mail. "Physically I have done all my work."

"The reality is if I had done it over the past 12-18 months I probably would have had a phone call. In a way it's a compliment that people have said I should be in that (Test) side but averaging 30 isn't – and shouldn't be – enough."

"Let's see how I start the season. It's not in the front of my mind to go out there to score runs to get in the England side. It's to go out there to score runs to win games for Warwickshire, and what will be will be."

Westley, 29, debuted for England only last year, and played two Tests against South Africa and three against West Indies.

In nine innings, he produced a best of 59 and averaged 24.12, and was subsequently not included in England's Test squad to tour Australia.

"For me, personally, it is about scoring runs for Essex again and then hopefully putting my name in for selection at the start of the year," he told ESPN.

"One of the frustrating things was getting a few starts and not kicking on, and also getting out in ways I haven't necessarily got out for Essex. I was lbw a few times, which is usually a major strength of mine. But it's happened now, so I've gone away and tinkered, and hopefully, I can come back better."

"I've made a few changes to my technique, nothing major … Some things were highlighted (in Test cricket), not massive flaws, just a few little things that will make me a better cricketer. Hopefully, that will show this season" concluded the discarded England cricketer. 

 
 

By Anshuman Roy - 09 Apr, 2018

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