Ian Bell on preparing his mind, body and life after cricket

This week on Lessons Learnt with the Greats I am lucky enough to chat to another one of my fierce Ashes rivals, Ian Bell. Belly was one of the finest and classiest batsmen I played against, particularly during the 2013 Ashes series in England where we could not get him out!. In our chat we discuss the importance of preparation, finding the right mindset, putting faith in the right people and how to handle the modern traps of a professional athlete. It was truly a privilege to speak to Belly and I hope you get out of it as much as I have. Rundown 03:11 - After our introductions we start with Belly's career highlights, which involve two Ashes wins and a memorable series victory in India 09:18 - We move to the technical side of the game and discuss batting and how Belly became such a quality player of spin bowling 17:18 - Belly was always a fit cricketer and here he reveals the coach that pushed him to another level 21:39 - The mental side of cricket is equally as important as the physical, and here Belly explains his mindset and who he learnt from in the England team 34:48 - Belly talks about how he handled the media and the dangers social media presents to modern players 40:39 - I believe how players manage their wealth is extremely important and Belly shares how he has handled that aspect of life 46:44 - The mantra Belly lives by 48:40 - How becoming a children's ambassador gave Belly a new perspective 50:33 - We finish with the books and documentaries Belly has enjoyed Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.