Ian Bell Admits 'Mistake'; Says he Was at Fault During 'Sprit of Cricket' Incident Featuring MS Dhoni

Ian Bell has looked back at the famous ‘Spirit of Cricket’ incident which got MS Dhoni an ICC award for the decade as the former England cricketer sat down with the ‘The Grade Cricketer’ for a free-wheeling chat. The 39-year-old said he ran for the pavilion as soon as the Tea was taken and almost a paid a price when Indians appeal for his run out was accepted by the umpires.

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“Yes, it’s interesting. When I look back to that, I mean, I must have been hungry or something because I literally just belted for the pavilion when I thought it was four if it was either way around, I would have been safe and we would have been fine. But yeah, they obviously got Dhoni a ‘Spirit of the Game’ award for the decade or something like that. But yeah [it was] a mistake on my behalf, should never do that,” Ian Bell told The Grade Cricketer’s YouTube channel,” said Bell.

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This is what actually happened that day in 2011 in the third Test between India and England at Southampton: Eoin Morgan, who is now England’s white-ball skipper, hit the ball towards the leg side. At the other end was Bell himself. The duo thought that the ball had raced to the boundary and set off for pavilion as it was the last ball of the post Lunch session.

What they didn’t realised is Praveen Kumar had dived and stopped the ball. Later India dislodged the bails and appealed for Ian Bell’s run out which was valid by all means. The umpire ruled him out which didn’t go down with the crowd. Later as the final session resumed, crowd was pacified by the sight of Bell resuming his innings. It was then reported that the India captain MS Dhoni had withdrawn the appeal. Nine years later in 2020, MSD was handed the Spirit of Cricket of the Decade award for this act.

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