(Reuters) – England batsman Ian Bell says he is “absolutely gutted” to have been left out of the test squad for the December-January series against South Africa.
The 33-year-old has played 118 tests for England, scoring 7,727 runs and winning five Ashes series since becoming a regular in the side following his debut in 2004, but disappointed in the recently concluded series against Pakistan.
“I certainly feel I could have contributed out there and have been working tirelessly to get into the best possible condition for the tour,” Bell wrote on Twitter.
England selector James Whitaker said in an England Cricket Board (ECB) statement on Thursday: “Ian Bell has been an outstanding player for many years and undoubtedly still has plenty to offer England in the future.
“It was clearly a difficult decision but he has struggled for runs in recent series and we felt that it was the right time for him to take a break and spend time working on his game out of the spotlight.”
Former England captain Kevin Pietersen took to Twitter to describe Bell’s omission as “ridiculous” and “pathetic”.
“You have to take him for his experience,” said Pietersen on a video hosted by www.breathesport.com