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Old June 11, 2012, 06:36 PM
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Andy Flower backs Ian Bell to fill Kevin Pietersen void

Ian Bell was recalled to the England squad on Monday for their upcoming three-match one-day international series against the West Indies.

Warwickshire batsman Bell returns to the limited overs set-up after being left out of England's 4-0 one-day win against Pakistan in the United Arab Emirates in February, having struggled in the preceding Tests.

However, with Kevin Pietersen having retired from one-day internationals last week, England have a vacancy at the top of the order that Bell, who made an unbeaten 76 in the drawn third Test against the West Indies concluded at Edgbaston on Monday, is set to fill alongside one-day skipper Alastair Cook.

The 30-year-old Bell averages just over 34 in 108 one-day internationals and has scored just the one hundred.

"We don't want him to do a similar job to Pietersen, we want him to be Ian Bell and play great international cricket.

With regard to England limited overs matches, Pietersen -- who remains a Test player -- had just wanted to appear in Twenty20 fixtures while opting out of 50-over clashes.

But that was against the terms of his England central contract and Flower said: "It's important to make policy in the best interests of English cricket. You've got to be careful when setting precedents."

Flower also said it was important 50-over one-day internationals remained respected by cricket's leading teams.

"It's a matter of principle and of supporting one-day international cricket. Protecting the integrity of one-day cricket is important.

"There is a danger, not of a mass exodus, but of players wanting to pick and chose. With the finances involved, there is a danger they might just pick Twenty20 cricket and this could denigrate the status of 50-over cricket.

"England have never won a 50-over ICC competition and we are very eager to do so," Flower said.

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