England Cricket / Andrew Hughes / 16 June 2008 / 4

His ability has never been in doubt but the man who was born to bat at number three for England must take the right path, says Andrew Hughes.

From his appearance as a 14-year-old for Warwickshire Under 16s to his England debut in 2004, no one who has watched Ian Bell has been in any doubt that he has the talent and technique to be one of the greats. Compact at the crease, his nimble footwork, instinctive timing and precision strokes have garnered him a Test average of 41 and a regular place in the England batting order. His measured, effortless cover driving is glorious to behold and the authority of his cut shot as he rises from his crouching position to lash the ball uppishly to the square boundary can be stunning.

But by common agreement, he has not yet realised his potential. His conversion rate of fifties to centuries is low. Rather than impose himself on the opposition, he bats in a bubble of genius that is too often burst after a pleasing forty or a roller coaster seventy. He has the capacity to take the game away from any team but rarely does so.

It isn't through any lack of commitment. From the winter he spent in Perth working on his horizontal bat shots to his practising last summer with a specially designed thin blade, he has continually sought improvement. Indeed, back in 2006, coach Duncan Fletcher feared that he was worrying too much about his batting. Nor would it be fair to suggest that he hasn't the stomach for a fight, having stood up to a relentless barrage from the Aussies in two Ashes series.

Some have argued that his inability to impose himself is down to his personality, to a character that is determined, but quietly so. Maybe if he had the bravado of a Pietersen or the laid-back ease of a Gower, it is suggested, he might be a more dominant proposition at the crease. I don't quite go along with that. Quiet determination has not held back Sachin Tendulkar, nor did it restrict Don Bradman.

And in any case he is a far more confident player these days. Where there was once a slightly timid young batsman, relying on his solid defensive technique with only occasional flashes of brilliance, there is now a fluent stroke maker at home in all formats of the game. Under Peter Moores, he has been encouraged to express himself more freely, both on the pitch and in team meetings. In starting to think of himself as a senior player, rather than a newcomer, Bell has found the confidence to swap defensive reliability for creative stroke play.

But though this newfound freedom may make him a fixture in the shorter formats, those flashy half-centuries will not hurt Test teams. His recent attempts to carry this attacking intent into the five-day game have all too often ended in disappointment, aside from a glorious century in Napier. He has earned a reputation, perhaps unfairly, for being a fair-weather batsman, able to build on good starts, but not to single-handedly turn a game around in the way that Pietersen might.

As yet, there are no signs that England are about to lose faith in him and the lack of any compelling replacements will ensure he retains his Test place. But in the long term, two divergent paths present themselves. If he is to continue in the current vein, he will remain a luxury player in Tests, batting at five or six and always vulnerable to the drop. England will hope that he takes the other path, that he is able to combine his potent attacking ability with some of his earlier defensive resolution to become the fulcrum of the batting line up for years to come, securing the number three spot he was born to occupy.

Meanwhile, he has been enjoying the freedom of opening the batting in both the twenty and fifty over game, as demonstrated by scores of 60 and 46 in the last week. He is already a very short [2.02] to be top English scorer in the one day series. Anyone who saw England's rampant victories on Friday and Sunday will not be at all surprised that they are a very short [1.3] to repeat the dose at Edgbaston on Wednesday with the punch drunk Black Caps available at [2.5]

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1. BOBBIE BROWN | 17 June 2008

   ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzz! This is a betting site not a poetry site! Could you please get the price right and show me where I can lay England at 1.3!

2. Andrew Hughes | 17 June 2008

   Back again Mr Brown? It is immensely flattering that a former (albeit washed-up) RnB star should take such a close interest in my work. Now that I know you're reading so avidly, I will make every effort to stick to words of one syllable, just for your benefit.

   I also have a suggestion for you. If you're looking for the latest odds in any market, you might like to log on to Betfair.com and see what's on offer.

   And you might want to get that 'Z' key looked at. It appears to be sticking.

3. Bobbie Brown | 21 June 2008

   Andrew

   Just when I feel I was starting to know you, you get so personal...... I'm well, so, so sad....... I'll do you a nice deal.... I'll keep moving forward with Cricket and the way it is going to and you stick where you are........ I hope you see the light, for the youth of Crickets sake if nothing else.

   Bobbie

4. Andrew Hughes | 22 June 2008

   Mr Brown

   If you are sad, then I am sad also. I am always keen to respond to the concerns of my fans and so to help smooth over any unpleasant misunderstanding, I've sent you the signed photo you asked for. (I understand they are selling on EBay for up to 10p!)

   I'm also interested to hear that you are 'moving forward with Cricket and the way it is going to' and my only suggestion would be that you might consider taking a little more water with it.

   Yours as ever,

   Andrew

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