DUNCHURCH-born cricketer Ian Bell has been appointed captain of Warwickshire County Cricket Club.
The 33-year-old former Princethorpe College pupil has replaced Varun Chopra, who has decided to stand down from the role.
Ian said: “The Club and Edgbaston have been a huge part of my life since an early age and, in the past, I have made no secret of my desire to captain the Bears.
“I am very proud to now be given the opportunity to lead this exciting squad and to challenge for titles in all forms of the game.
“We have a strong programme of pre-season fixtures ahead and we will all be working very hard to ensure that we’re in the best possible shape for the first game of the County Championship away to Hampshire on 10 April.”
Ian became one of only three England cricketers to win five Ashes Series, following last summer’s victory over Australia, and he has won 118 Test Match caps to date in addition to 161 ODI and eight IT20 caps.
He previously captained Warwickshire, and scored a match-winning century, in the CB40 triumph at Lord’s in 2010 and has won two County Championships, two List A tournaments and a NatWest T20 Blast title in his domestic career to date.
He joined the Club’s Development of Excellence programme at the under 11s age-group and progressed to make his senior debut in 1999.
He was awarded an MBE in 2006 for his part in helping his country win the 2005 Ashes for the first time in 18 years.
Dougie Brown, Director of Cricket at Warwickshire CCC, said: “In Ian Bell we have one of the most celebrated cricketers in the Club’s history, who has worn the Bear and Ragged Staff since the age of 10 and has played at the very highest level of the game since 2004.
“He is an excellent role model for the younger members of the squad and will build on the great work that Varun has done in leading Warwickshire and Birmingham Bears with huge pride and proficiency.”
Warwickshire travel to Dubai for a two-week pre-season tour on March 1 before returning to Edgbaston for two-day friendlies against Gloucestershire (March 28-29) and Worcestershire (April 5-6). In between the friendlies the Bears face Leeds/Bradford MCCU in the three-day First Class University match, starting on March 31.
