Image Credit- Getty
Ian Bell, a former batter for England, has joined the
Melbourne Renegades as head coach David Saker’s assistant coach for the 2018
BBL season.
Bell has been adding coaching experience to his résumé
in the last several years. He was assistant coach Adam Griffith’s team in the
BBL for the Hobart Hurricanes in 2021–2022.
Prior to the ODI World Cup this year, he served as a
consultant for New Zealand. He has also had positions with the England Under-19
team, Derbyshire, Birmingham Phoenix, Chennai Braves, and Abu Dhabi T10 teams.
Bell won a championship with the Perth Scorchers
during the 2016–17 season, giving him playing experience in the BBL. When Saker
was an assistant coach and Bell was a player for England, they had previously
collaborated.
Bell will be surrounded by a set of seasoned opponents
as the Renegades add Peter Siddle and Nathan Lyon, Bell’s previous Ashes
opponents, to an already experienced roster that also includes Aaron Finch,
Shaun Marsh, and Kane Richardson. Additionally, he will be acquainted with
Renegades’ foreign players Quinton de Kock, Joe Clarke and Mujeeb Ur Rahman.