England Test great Ian Bell has called on the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) to revert back to a selection panel to pick the squad in the wake of their Ashes defeat after just three Tests.
England has been embarrassed in all three Tests, particularly at the MCG where their second innings collapse for 68 gave them their lowest innings score in Australia since 1904.
There has been no shortage of criticism directed at the English team over multiple facets of their tour so far, not less their issues at selection.
Head coach Chris Silverwood is the sole selector for the side - an unusual model in today’s game - and has come under fire for numerous decisions.
He rested fast bowlers James Anderson and Stuart Broad on a bowler-friendly pitch in Brisbane and then dropped quick Mark Wood and spinner Jack Leach on a dry deck in Adelaide.
Looking to avoid going 3-0 down, Silverwood made four changes for the Boxing Day Test, none of which could be classified as successful based on their performances at the MCG.
Silverwood has been solely responsible for selection since April this year when the ECB changed up its model to put clearer “lines of accountability” on selection.
Bell, who played 118 Tests for England with a batting average of almost 43, suggested the move has backfired.
“One of the hardest things, and I was very shocked if I’m honest with you, was when we went away from the chairman of selectors thing,” he told Sportsday.
“Even looking at it from a player’s point of view… you’re not stupid enough to think (Chris Silverwood) is not part of selection, but since he is head selector, how would you have the honest conversations with the head coach and say, ‘I might be struggling a little bit here’, because he is the man who’s making all the decisions.
“I think you need a chairman of selectors who sits outside of the dressing room sometimes, who’s not attached to all the players emotionally or what’s going on a daily basis and can actually see things from a different set of eyes, which I think is really important.
“When you look at it now, you look at some of the selections we’ve had and decisions we’ve made at the toss, it’s been very internal, there’s not been a lot of advice from those outside who aren’t in those day-to-day training sessions and in the bubble and it all becomes a bit emotional.
“They need another set of eyes helping them to make these decisions.”
Bell is currently part of the Hobart Hurricanes coaching team in the BBL and also indicated he would like to be involved in the national setup down the track.
England has two Test matches remaining in the series to prove all hope is not lost with the current XI, the next beggining in Sydney on January 6.
Listen to the full chat with Ian Bell below