Ian Bell wants to make history as England's first six-time Ashes winner - but has been warned only a sustained return to form will keep him in the Test team.
Coach Trevor Bayliss believes the team's performances are more important than individuals leaving the squad and although Bell has now committed himself to the England side after considering retiring following the Ashes, Bayliss has left the 33-year-old in little doubt he will have to improve significantly on his 2015 output.
Bayliss said: "I think it's a question most older players ask themselves when they're getting closer to the end than the start - but he's very much aware that performances are the thing that very much count.
"We need him from that experience point of view. But what I'm saying is - and everyone's fully aware of it - that results count as well."
Bayliss acknowledges Bell's experience counts in a developing team currently 1-0 down with one to play against Pakistan, but not as much as runs.
Alastair Cook and his vice-captain Joe Root have been responsible for more than half of England's runs in the series, with Bell the best of the rest, offering hope he may be ready to snap out of a mediocre six-month spell in which he has mustered only 358 runs in 21 innings since his last Test century.
"Just because you've got experience, you've (still) got to be performing as well," added Bayliss.
"The players know that, and the selectors and coaches make their decisions based on performances at the top level."
Bell's record and pedigree mean England will never dispense with him easily - especially with so many other players still finding their feet at the highest level.
"Obviously at the moment we haven't got a lot of experience in the batting order, and I think it's important we have got some experience in the team," said Bayliss.
"On this tour, if you just take the aggregates and averages of our batters, he's probably in third spot or round about - he's averaging almost 40, I think.
"I'm sure he'd like to be scoring more runs as well - and he's a guy who works very hard at his game."