Warwickshire and England batsman Ian Bell has committed to the Bears until at least the end of the 2017 season after signing a new three-year contract extension.
Dougie Brown, Warwickshire CCC Director of Cricket, said: “Ian is a Bear through and through and he has been a fantastic servant to the Club. Whilst he continues to play a leading role for England, he is also an invaluable member of our squad who makes a huge contribution on and of the pitch.
“He has been one of the best batsmen in the world for several years and everyone at the Club is delighted that he remains a Bear for the foreseeable future.”
Bell made his First Class debut for Warwickshire against Sussex in 1999 and became the youngest player in the Club’s history to score a First Class century in 2001 with 130 against Oxford UCCE aged 19 years and 56 days.
The England batsman said: “As a Warwickshire man through and through, I'm absolutely delighted to commit to this fantastic club for another three years. I have many ambitions I'm still desperate to fulfil, both on a domestic and international level, and I look forward to hopefully achieving these over the coming years as a Bear.”
The 32-year-old was the first Warwickshire player to win 100 Test Match caps.
Bell will head to the West Indies later this week for England’s three-Test tour of the Caribbean.