No time for the bloke, merely in the same bracket as Graeme Hick & to a lesser extent, Rob Key & Ed Smith.

Player who plundered thousands of runs per season in county cricket but looked woefully out of depth at international level.

The amount of chances/comebacks Ramps had during the 90's was embarrasing. Each time he looked as cr@p as the last despite scoring obscene amounts of runs only days earlier against the medium pace dross we dish up as county attacks.

fickle selection didn't help him but, yes, never quite had it up top, really.

I must admit I'm mellowing. Harsh I know, but I've not got much time for any sportsman at the top level that seems to melt under pressure. But having recently seen a list of the bowlers 'Ramps' failed against while playing for England, coupled with the sheer volume of runs he's scored over the last couple of years, even an old cynic like me is starting to think he might be worth one last chance.

quote:

Originally posted by An Affable Polar Bear:
For Leo.

It's not a bad article, but the time for it was last year. Just another of Funcwits errors. Someone with a bit of experience facing Pidge might have made that first test at the Gabba look a lot different.

Ramps in the 2009 Ashes? With us probably fielding at least two 90mph fast bowlers? Seems a bit of a stretch.

I hate to say it, but unless you earnestly believe he'll make it through that 2009 series as an effective international player (Goochie 1993 is the only comparison I can think of), a recall would be the wrong decision for England. But it does seem a more real possibility than at any time since October 2002 (when Blob Key was preferred over him for the Ashes tour - FFS).

Leo ... stop even deliberating the remote pissibolity of Cash's reincarnation.
It won't happen.

Actually, I just looked at 2007-08 for England: a trip to Sri Lanka strikes me as the obvious cause of this interest in Ramps from the selectors. With Thorpe retired, he's probably the best player of spin in England.

On the other hand, the following series is against his nemesis (I am not joking), NZ.

quote:

Originally posted by RedDuster:
Leo ... stop even deliberating the remote pissibolity of Cash's reincarnation.
It won't happen.

I don't expect it to. But unless you think the Daily Mail invented that article (possible) there must be at least some discussion of the possibility among the England management.

Ramps would be a good call for that SL series.

He is a far better player now than during any of his tests.

England dont seem to pick one-off horses for courses selections much - apart from Sidearse recently.

Can't see it though, as you say is he going to make 2009?

quote:

With Thorpe retired, he's probably the best player of spin in England.

Marcus Trescothick and Kevin Pietersen would beg to differ.

To be honest, even against Australia Ramps wouldnt have helped us much. He made one hundred against them in about 15 Tests. The rest of the time he got solid (Sometimes slow and laborious) 40's and 50's before giving it away. Bell played that role in the last Ashes series, and he was considered a moderate success.

We cant pick Ramprakash again. We just cant. It sends out all the wrong messages to everyone.

quote:

Originally posted by Leo: Someone with a bit of experience facing Pidge might have made that first test at the Gabba look a lot different.

After Harmlessone's first ball it would have taken more than a bit of batting experience to make a difference in that Test.

quote:

Originally posted by tailender:

quote:

Originally posted by Leo: Someone with a bit of experience facing Pidge might have made that first test at the Gabba look a lot different.

After Harmlessone's first ball it would have taken more than a bit of batting experience to make a difference in that Test.

... something which GimmeTheCash sadly lacks in REAL cricket matches.

The man has confidence in buckets and knows his own game inside out.

Ryan Sidebottom proved that previous England cast-offs who have learned their trade in the county circuit can be of great benefit to the national side, in preference to young bloods that are simply not ready yet.

I'd love to see Ramps back in the England reckoning, as a backup player at least - we have so many injuries he'd be sure to get his chance, and I believe he'd grab it and not let go for a few years yet.

quote:

Originally posted by JKLever:
Ramps would be a good call for that SL series.

He is a far better player now than during any of his tests.

England dont seem to pick one-off horses for courses selections much - apart from Sidearse recently.

Can't see it though, as you say is he going to make 2009?

Yeah. Seems unlikely.

But I assume from the newspaper discussion it is a live issue for the selectors, and if you wanted to take an experienced reserve bat to the subcontinent, that would explain the interest.

MR's final career goal should be 100 FC tons.

He and Hick can have a little cast-offs competition see who can break the most records of ex-England players with disappointing careers.

Strauss has passed 50 once in his last 8 tests. Averaging 19.5 in the current series.

Ramps could do better than that. Put Vaughan up to open and get Ramps in at no. 3.

Nah. Strauss will come good sooner or later.

quote:

Originally posted by JGK:
MR's final career goal should be 100 FC tons.

He already has 92 and he's planning on playing for another 3 years at least. Should cruise past that mark.

quote:

Originally posted by Leo:
Strauss has passed 50 once in his last 8 tests. Averaging 19.5 in the current series.

Ramps could do better than that. Put Vaughan up to open and get Ramps in at no. 3.

It is more likely that Strauss will be dropped to make room for Fred when he returns.

Ramps said in a big article in The Times today that winning the dance contest was 2much, much harder than test cricket2 and has matured him as a person.

I think a test recall is in order. Give him his swansong on the winter tour.

I think it says a lot that KP has already scored more Test runs than Ramprakash, in exactly half as many Tests!

Great county player, but for whatever reason, just didn't have what it takes at the next level. He averaged about 27, I mean even your keeper is expected to average more than that to keep their place, never mind a pure batting specialist!

I have some sympathy for Ramps because he started against Marshall-Ambrose-Walsh-Patterson, always coming in after early wickets had gone. It mucked him up. Atherton was allowed to duck WI early in his career but Ramps was not.

First series was against that bunch, MR. I remember I saw a video of Goochie's 154* at Headingley, and seem to remember the chap at the other end for much of the time looked familiar.

Then they left him out on the NZ tour and brought him back against W&W in 1992. Then left him out for the subcontinent, brought him back for the Windies in 1994. Missed another NZ series in 1994, then brought back against Windies and RSA in 1995.

He let himself down, don't mistake me. Should have done better. And his more recent encounters with weak opposition (NZ, Zimboks) were very ordinary. But the selectors didn't exactly make an effort to let him ease into it.

Surrey's bowlers reminded everyone how rubbish they are by allowing Vikram Solanki to pile up 232 off 247 balls. The spin twins Schofield and Salisbury returned figures of 69-5-283-3. Ramps himself had a bowl at one point and got smashed for 18 in an over. Not pretty.

Fresh from discussions with Glenn Miller about his forthcoming return to England colours, Ramps got off to a sober start of 25 off 59 balls with 4 boundaries. One would imagine he'll need to bat most of tomorrow if Surrey are going to get out of this with a draw.

"Fresh from discussions with Glenn Miller about his forthcoming return to England colours, Ramps got off to a sober start of 25 off 59 balls with 4 boundaries. "


Oh dear, the mere suggestion he'll be back in an England Cap and he freezes up. Classic Ramps!

Rubbish. Consummate team man, aware of how rubbish the rest of the batting is and batting for the team. He needs to stay in for a while if they are to draw this.