Ashes glory better than cash: Bell

London, Oct 23 (ANI): England's middle order Batsman Ian Bell has insisted that reclaiming the Ashes next summer means more than becoming one of England's million dollar men.

The batsman has the chance to win previously unimagined riches when England takes on the Stanford Superstars in Antigua on November 1. He hopes to get his hands on 570,000 pound in the winner-takes-all match.

But Bell is adamant that a repeat of 2005 Ashes triumph when the Australians visit next summer would have far greater meaning than any cash windfall in the Caribbean.

"It's really exciting to be given the chance to win this money but, as a team, we'd much prefer to win the Ashes next year. That might sound silly because the amount is so big but the Ashes is the bigger picture for us. The rewards for winning an Ashes series are not just financial," Bell claimed.

"I know winning the Ashes in England is the best time you can have as a cricketer. Everyone remembers it for a long time - a lot longer than winning some money," he added.

"There's already momentum building under Kevin Pietersen's captaincy. By the time we reach Ashes, we'll have a good idea of how good the team is," Bell said.

Bell will open the batting with wicketkeeper Matt Prior in Antigua and is expected to get England off to a flying start, The Sun reported.

That means playing big shots early on rather than just accumulating with textbook strokes. (ANI)