Ian Bell Appointed as Sri Lanka's Batting Coach for England Tour

Sri Lanka have appointed former England and Warwickshire batsman Ian Bell as their new batting coach for the upcoming three-Test series against England. Bell, 42, will commence his role on Friday, just days before the first Test at Old Trafford, which begins on 21 August.

Bell’s appointment is aimed at leveraging his extensive knowledge of English conditions to benefit the Sri Lankan squad. With 118 Tests to his name between 2004 and 2015, Bell’s expertise is expected to provide valuable insights into the playing conditions and aid Sri Lanka’s preparation for the series.

Sri Lanka Cricket chief executive Ashley de Silva expressed confidence in Bell’s role, stating, "We appointed Ian to bring in a person with local knowledge to help the players with key insights on the conditions there. We believe his inputs will help our team in this crucial tour."

Bell will be working alongside Sanath Jayasuriya, who recently took over as head coach from Chris Silverwood. Jayasuriya’s appointment follows Sri Lanka's early exit from the T20 World Cup held in the West Indies and the United States.

Prior to joining Sri Lanka, Bell was involved with the Birmingham Phoenix coaching set-up during The Hundred and had a similar role with New Zealand’s white-ball team during their tour of England last year, leading up to the 2023 Cricket World Cup.