Ian Bell admits that England’s beleaguered batsmen will have to stand up and be counted if they are to save some face in the final Test with Pakistan (Pakistan 7/4, England 15/8, draw 7/4 Match Prices).

Andrew Strauss’s side came into the three-match series as favourites due to their number one status in Test cricket but they are in great danger of being on the wrong end of a 3-0 whitewash following defeats in Dubai and Abu Dhabi.

The much-heralded batting line-up has, once again, failed to adapt to Asian conditions and there has been little to praise about the batsmen’s performances in the two Tests to date.

Bell has been one of England’s stars during their rise to the top of the rankings and has played some superb innings’ for his side all around the world, but he has been one of the major disappointments on the current tour, being unable to deal with the twin spin threat of Saeed Ajmal and Abdur Rehman.

The Warwickshire man acknowledges that England have a problem against spin on the sub-continent but feels that there should be no more excuses, as he and his team-mates need to find a way to combat the threat in Dubai later this week (Bell 11/2 Top England Batsman 1st Inns).

“We have never played good cricket in the sub-Continent,” he said. “We have started to play really well everywhere else, and this is the last hurdle we need to get over.

“We knew that; we’ve had a chat, and it’s about the here and now.”