Ian Bell spoke ahead of the Headingley Test where he will make his 100th Test appearance
Ian Bell admits he can hardly believe the exalted company he will be keeping when he plays his 100th Test at Headingley this week.
Barring mishap the 32-year-old will reach his landmark game against Sri Lanka to join the likes of Sir Ian Botham, Graham Gooch, David Gower and his current skipper Alastair Cook.
“To look at those number and see some of the name that you’re with – you have to step back and take a minute really,” he said.
“It’s great. Hopefully there’s a lot more to come and I’m really pleased with where I am right now.”
Bell admits it was always a dream just to play for England, let alone reach a century of Test appearances.
“It’s incredible to be sat here now that close to 100 – I can’t believe it really. It’s a dream come true,” he said.
“When you start you never really dream of getting this far.
“It’s been a dream, just to play cricket for your country is a dream come true.
“As a young kid that’s all I wanted to do so to do it for 10 years and play 100 games is more than I expected.”
Bell was named England Men’s Cricketer of the Year last week after arguably the most memorable summer of his career last year, when he was named man-of-the-series in the 3-0 Ashes success.
“To score three hundreds in an Ashes series and to win another Ashes was definitely the highlight of my career so far,” he said.
“You grow up watching a ‘Botham Ashes’ and you dream of growing up and being man of the series.
“To have achieved that as well is something that I was always aiming for.”