Sri Lanka appoint Ian Bell as batting coach for England tour

On August 13 (Tuesday), Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) announced that former England batter Ian Bell will serve as Sri Lanka’s batting coach during the three-match Test series in England. Bell will join the team on August 16 and will remain until the conclusion of the series. 

Bell, who has played 118 Tests and 161 ODIs for the English side, has been roped in primarily to help the Lankan batters understand the conditions more nuancedly. This series is important for both teams regarding the World Test Championships 2023-25. 

“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 inputs will help our team in this crucial tour,” said Ashley De Silva, CEO, Sri Lanka Cricket.

While England cannot afford to lose even a single game, a whitewash would dampen Lanka’s chances of qualification for a place in the tournament's final. At the moment, England are placed sixth on the WTC 2023-25 points table with a point percentage of 36.54%, while Sri Lanka are on fourth with a points percentage of 50%.

The first Test will be played in Manchester from August 21 before the action shifts to Lord’s and Kennington Oval for the final two Tests.

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