Ian Bell emerges as a contender for Test national selector role

Ian Bell has emerged as a candidate for the role of Test national selector, as director of cricket Rob Key looks to make the final major appointments of his new reign.

The 40-year-old Bell, who scored 7,727 runs in 118 Tests for England, retired from the first-class game two years ago, and has since broken into coaching. 

He recently spent time at Derbyshire, having previously worked for England Under 19s, and had stints with Birmingham Phoenix in the Hundred and Hobart Hurricanes in Australia’s T20 Big Bash League.

Key is keen to restore the role of national selector after his predecessor, Ashley Giles, abolished it last year, bringing an end to Ed Smith’s three-year tenure.

But he is believed to be keen on splitting the role between Test cricket and the white-ball formats, as he has done with the position of head coach, after handing Brendon McCullum the red-ball position last month, before placing Matthew Mott in charge of the one-day and T20 teams.

Bell is said to be on Key’s wishlist for the Test role.