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Sri Lanka have bagged a jackpot by signing legendary English cricketer Ian Bell as their new batting consultant ahead of their tour to England. After days of speculation, Sri Lanka formally announced Bell as their new batting coach. 

Bell had a decorated career with the English team. Bell featured in over 100 Tests for England between 2004 and 2015, amassing over 7000 runs with 22 centuries and 46 half-centuries. 

Ian Bell's Test career
MatchesInningsRunsAverageHSSR
118205772742.6923549.46

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Scoring at an average of above 40, Bell was highly praised by pundits for his technical abilities with the bat. His cover drive specifically was a sight to behold and is right at the top with the likes of Virat Kohli and Sachin Tendulkar. 

Bell’s announcement was made official by the CEO of Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC), Ashley de Silva on Tuesday, August 13. The SLC CEO had nothing but words of praise for the former English cricketer. His signing provides a much-added advantage for Sri Lanka ahead of the England tour since he has vast knowledge and experience about the English conditions. 

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What did Ashley de Silva say about Ian Bell’s signing?

De Silva is ecstatic about Bell’s appointment as batting coach It was interim coach Sanath Jayasuriya who requested SLC for the signing of the 42-year-old, with the Lankans wasting no time in getting him on board. 

We appointed Ian to bring in a person with local knowledge to help the players with key insights on the conditions there. Ian has a lot of experience playing in England, and we believe his input will help our team in this crucial tour

The Lankans recently secured a historic ODI series win against India at home. Sri Lanka managed to defeat India in a bilateral series after 27 years by defeating the Men in Blue 2-0 in the three-match ODI series. 

However, the conditions and the format in England are going to be much much different than what they are used to at home. Their signing of Bell as batting coach ahead of the series could prove to be a game-changer. 

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When does the England vs Sri Lanka Test series start?

England and Sri Lanka will be facing each other in a three-match Test series starting August 21. It’s a must-win series for both teams if they are to increase their chances of qualifying for the final of the ICC World Test Championship 2023-25 cycle.

FixtureDateVenue
Eng vs SL 1st TestAug 21-25Old Trafford
Eng vs SL 2nd TestAug 29 - Sept 2Lord's
Eng vs SL 3rd TestSept 6-10The Oval

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Author(s)
Rahul Chalke Photo

Rahul is a content producer for The Sporting News’ India edition.