Melbourne, July 28 - England batsman Ian Bell has laughed off former Australian spin king Shane Warne's taunts that he looks like the 'Shermanator' - the red-haired nerd in the American Pie films.

Warne has suggested the Australians taunt Bell, who has been drafted into England's third Test team to replace injured batsman Kevin Pietersen, as he did during the 5-0 whitewash in Australia in 2006.

'Bell's return will hopefully be greeted with, 'Welcome back, Shermanator' -- the nickname I gave him in 2006,' Warne wrote in his column in The Times newspaper.

'I remember watching American Pie in the team hotel with Michael Clarke on the fourth evening of the Adelaide Test, and when the dorky ginger kid appeared, we both started laughing because it reminded us of Bell.