Ian Bell joins Melbourne Renegades as assistant coach

MELBOURNE: Former England cricketer Ian Bell joined Melbourne Renegades as an assistant coach for the upcoming Big Bash League season 13 (BBL), the franchise cricket club announced on Thursday.

Bell bringing a wealth of experience to David Saker's coaching group including 287 games with England across all formats in a distinguished career spanning more than a decade.

After retiring from all forms of cricket at the end of 2020, Bell has plied his craft as a coach with stints with England Under-19s, Birmingham Phoenix in The Hundred and Chennai Braves in the Abu Dhabi T10 League.

Most recently, Bell joined New Zealand for their white ball series against England and Bangladesh ahead of the 2023 ODI World Cup.

Melbourne Renegades General Manager, James Rosengarten said Bell's appointment is a big coup for the club. "We're thrilled to have someone of Bell's caliber at the Renegades. His experience at international and domestic level speaks for itself; he offers that fresh voice and expertise every club needs to succeed in the Big Bash. He’ll be a great fit and we can’t wait for what he’s going to bring in BBL|13," he said.

The 41-year-old was also part of the 2016-17 BBL champion Perth Scorchers before returning five seasons later as an assistant coach at the Hobart Hurricanes.

Bell's old Ashes rivals Peter Siddle and Nathan Lyon have joined the Renegades' already seasoned roster, which also includes Aaron Finch, Shaun Marsh, and Kane Richardson, meaning Bell will have to deal with a lot of familiar faces.

Renegades open their BBL 13 account at the SCG against the Sydney Sixers on December 8.