Former England batsman Graeme Hick was on Thursday promoted to be Australia's specialist batting coach starting with the upcoming series against South Africa.
Interesting hire. That makes two of England's most disappointing Test players of all time (Hick and Ramprakash) being given high profile coaching jobs.
Hick and Ramps were just sublime county players. All time greats. Two of my favourites to watch. But sadly, neither transferred to the Test arena. Although, between 1993-1995 Hick did average 48 with success against Australia, South Africa and West Indies. He was of course, a brilliant ODI player. Probably fitting that he has ended up coaching the Aussies as his career arc was very similar to that of Michael Bevan.
[quote author=dillinger10 link=topic=106172.msg713179#msg713179 date=1474128265]
Interesting hire. That makes two of England's most disappointing Test players of all time (Hick and Ramprakash) being given high profile coaching jobs.
Hick and Ramps were just sublime county players. All time greats. Two of my favourites to watch. But sadly, neither transferred to the Test arena. Although, between 1993-1995 Hick did average 48 with success against Australia, South Africa and West Indies. He was of course, a brilliant ODI player. Probably fitting that he has ended up coaching the Aussies as his career arc was very similar to that of Michael Bevan.
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I do not think you need to have been an International to be an effective Coach but these two guys played at a time of some very strong oppositions and a weak England team but yes more was expected of both.
Hick has been doing his bit quietly on the Coaching circuit and I am surprised the Aussies have chosen a non Aussie Coach!
After a long absence there was a debate in English cricket circles as to whether Ramprakash should been given a second chance but it was overruled .I believed that it was a mistake , Mark Ramprakash dominated the county circuit and they should have given him another chance
[quote author=Kwami link=topic=106172.msg713365#msg713365 date=1474165034]
Mark Ramprakash dominated the county circuit and should have given him another chance
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Trinidaddy made an interesting observation of a batsman AGE of peak !
Ramps was never afforded any real stability - he was dropped more often than a bar of soap in the shower. Although, ultimately, IMO, he was done in by his temperament. He was so highly strung and bore the weight of the world on his shoulders. He cared so much that he was never able to relax at the crease, and eventually got himself out trying to play an ill-advised release shot.
His mighty mow against Warne at Trent Bridge a prime example.
Although elegant at the crease, he seemed paralysed by his own desire to succeed. His Test strike-rate belied his natural free-flowing stroke play. It all just wore him down. His century two Tests later at the Oval showed just how much he cared. After reaching his second Test century you can almost see the weight of the world lifting off his shoulders as he lets out a loud yelp.
Of course, it didn't help his psyche that his entry into Test cricket was a baptism of fire facing Marshall, Ambrose, Walsh and Patterson.
I think it was Michael Vaughan that once described Ramps as the best technical batsman England produced in the 90s.
Having both made their debuts in the same Test, Ramprakash and Hick will forever be linked together for careers that might have been.
John Crawley was another from that period that failed to make the jump from scoring runs for fun in county cricket into international cricket.
Those were some dark days for English cricket. I am going off memory, so someone please correct me if I am wrong, but I believe that of all batsmen to make their Test debut in the '90s, only Thorpe and Vaughan finished with career averages above 40, while Stewart and Hussain were the only others with averages above 35.
[quote author=dillinger10 link=topic=106172.msg713402#msg713402 date=1474213785]
Although, ultimately, IMO, he was done in by his temperament. He was so highly strung and bore the weight of the world on his shoulders. He cared so much that he was never able to relax at the crease,
and eventually got himself out trying to play an ill-advised release shot.
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Guyanese DNA.
reminds me of Sarwan pull/hook shot which always got him out.
and someone mention that about Kanhai on a recent thread !
[quote author=Kwami link=topic=106172.msg713365#msg713365 date=1474165034]
After a long absence there was a debate in English cricket circles as to whether Ramprakash should been given a second chance but it was overruled .I believed that it was a mistake , Mark Ramprakash dominated the county circuit and they should have given him another chance
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It was the summer of 2009 and we were playing Australia and I think there were mutterings of Ramps returning as he was scoring a great volume of runs and Trott was selected instead and he scored a ton on debut, second innings, and was sadly run out in the first when doing well.
In my mind Ramps had his time and although many of us, romantically, wanted to see him return the selectors would feel justified in their decision as Trott went on to contribute to England becoming No 1 albeit short lived.
My problem with Trott's selection was 18 month prior, he was celebrating with his Saffer friends when the beat us!
