Ian Bell: We’re never going to replace Kevin Pietersen

That Ian Bell should feel grateful to a 19-month-old seems strange.

But the child in question is his son, Joseph, and since his birth, Bell has become a more relaxed cricketer.

“I may not be getting as much sleep as I used to but he has certainly put things in perspective,” says Bell. “In the early stages of my career, I was very much up and down. If I scored 100, I was on top of the world. And if I got nought, then I was right down at the bottom. Now, on bad days, it’s not too bad. I pick up Joseph and he doesn’t care whether you’ve got nought or a 100, he just wants to see his dad.”