England batsman Ian Bell has suggested that the team will struggle this summer without Kevin Pietersen.

Newly-appointed ECB director of England cricket Andrew Strauss made the controversial decision this week to rule out a return for Pietersen.

The move was made despite the 34-year-old scoring a career-best unbeaten 355 for Surrey on Tuesday.

While Bell has given his backing to Strauss in his new role, the batsman appears to question the decision not to consider Pietersen for a crucial summer, when England will play New Zealand and Australia in The Ashes.

"Kevin is a quality player, probably the best I've ever played with," Bell told reporters. "I don't know what's been going on in these meetings. I don't know what's been said. It's no good as players us worrying about that.

"Will it harm our chances not to have him this summer? If we think about it and let it come into our dressing room and talk about it, yes it probably might. That's all we can do as players, focus on what comes next."

On Wednesday, Pietersen accused the ECB of misleading him after incoming chairman Colin Graves claimed earlier this year that the door was open for a return if the batsman clocked up runs at county level.