Derbyshire appoints Ian Bell as batting consultant

Derbyshire has roped in former English international Ian Bell as batting consultant for the first two months of the county season. Bell replaces Mal Loye and will play a key role in shaping the new look Derbyshire setup helmed by Mickey Arthur. 

As a young coach, the opportunity to learn from one of the biggest names in the game was massive," Bell said in a statement addressing the press. "Mickey has big plans for the future of Derbyshire, and I'm really excited to be part of it for the next couple of months.

"I had my first session with the team yesterday and there's a lot of talent there. Now it's about making sure that it's always on show across all formats. Between them, our batters have more than 100 all-formats centuries and there's the ability to make big scores. My job is to help them to continue progressing and perform at their best."

Batting has been a matter of huge concern for the county, who just about escaped  the wooden spoon last season. They've roped in Pakistan batter Shan Masood as well as just-retired Sri Lanka pacer Suranga Lakmal to their roster.

 Arthur expressed his elation on working with Bell saying: "Last season, the batting was an aspect of the squad's game that needed to improve, so Ian's arrival gives us a real boost, he has considerable international experience and that will help us continue to drive the standards we've set for the team."

Post retirement from professional cricket in 2020, Bell has enjoyed short coaching stints with Hobart in Aus T20 League and Birmingham in the very first season of the Hundred.