Former batter Ian Bell feels England need to bring back the traditional selection panel to choose squads as it would provide a different perspective. The post of national selector of England’s men’s cricket team was made redundant as part of a restructuring process after more than a century by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) earlier this year.
Ed Smith, who had held the post for three years, left in April. Since then the responsibility of picking the national squads lies with head coach Chris Silverwood while captains Joe Root and Eoin Morgan help him in selecting the playing XIs.
ALSO READ | A Master of His Craft, Mohammad Shami Subtly Becoming a Legend In His Own Right
But in the aftermath of England’s surrender in the first three Ashes Tests, Bell called for restoration of the panel instead of handing all powers to the head coach.
“One of the hardest things, and I was very shocked if I’m honest with you, was when we went away from the chairman of selectors thing,” he told ‘Sportsday’.
“Even looking at it from a player’s point of view you’re not stupid enough to think (Chris Silverwood) is not part of selection, but since he is head selector, how would you have the honest conversations with the head coach and say, ‘I might be struggling a little bit here’, because he is the man who’s making all the decisions.
The 39-year-old, who has played 118 Tests, 161 ODIs and 8 T20Is for England, feels someone who is not present in the dressing room and not interacting with players on a daily basis will be more suited for the job.
Get all the IPL news and Cricket Score here
.