Mark Ramprakash is arguably the most talented batsman English cricket has ever seen, one of the most prolific batsman ever in domestic cricket it remains a mystery to many as to why Ramprakash was unable to transfer his wonderful ability onto the International stage. Playing domestically in London for the entirerty of his career Mark Ramprakash represented Middlesex CCC and Surrey CCC. The current England batting coach, Mark’s tremendous work ethic and extensive knowledge and experiences of batting make him a remarkable coach and formidable cricket speaker.
Impressing in his early days playing for Middlesex CCC, Ramprakash was selected for his first Test match for England against the legendary West Indies at Headingley in 1991. Unable to replicate his success and prolific run scoring at Test level he was dropped in 1992 after a number of poor performances he however remained on the fringes of selection largely due to his consistent heavy scoring in county cricket. Some put Ramprakash’s inability to perform at the highest level down to his temper and exuberance at a young age, characteristics that saw him nicknamed ‘Bloodaxe’. During his work as a cricket speaker Mark discusses the beginning of his career along with the start of his time playing on the International level.
Recalled to the England team for the final Test of the 1993 Ashes series with Australia already 4-0 up it was a dead rubber Mark contributed with his first innings of substance for England by scoring 64 to help the team grab a consolation victory. This performance earnt him a place on the subsequent tour of the West Indies however another string of low scores resulted in him being left out of the selectors’ plans once again before a breakthrough of sorts came in the 1997-98 Test series against the West Indies when he scored 154 in the fifth Test in Barbados. It was his first Test century and it earned him regular selection for the England team for the next few years. While he scored a number of fifties against various teams (notably Australia), Mark was only able to add one more century to his tally when he scored 133 against Australia at his future county ground The Oval in the 2001 Ashes series. As a cricket speaker Mark Ramprakash discusses his disappointment at being unable to fulfil his potential at International level and also bridges the interesting topic of why he only ever seemed to be picked to play against the World’s most competitive teams.
Ramprakash joined county rivals Surrey CCC in 2001 and became the first player ever to captain both Surrey and Middlesex. Making an immediate impact he became the first player to score a First Class hundred against all 18 counties and regularly scored substantial runs for his new side. Mark’s tendency to construct large innings became somewhat of a trademark and regular occurrence during the early 2000s as in 2006 he made a career best 292 before beating his own First Class score just three months later when he compiled a monumental 301 not out. He broke a record that year passing 2,000 runs in just 20 innings before ending the season with 2,278 runs at an average of 103.54 and in doing so became only the sixth man to average over one hundred over eight or more completed first-class innings in an English season. His outstanding season led to Surrey CCC being promoted and many touting Ramprakash to be reselected to the England team. As a cricket speaker Mark reminisces on this fantastic season sharing what he feels made it so productive as well as shedding light on what may have had he been recalled for England.
Ramprakash continued his dominance and followed on from the accolades of Wisden Cricketer of the Year and PCA Player of the Year by finishing the 2007 season with 2,026 first-class runs including ten centuries at an average of 101.30 and becoming the only man to average over 100 in two consecutive English seasons. Starting 2008 with a century in his first innings meant Mark had scored 3 consecutive hundreds all against Lancashire with a 100 in both innings of the last game of the previous season. In that same season he scored his 100th hundred and became only the 25th player to do so before making a blistering double hundred that preceded a two match ban for dissent before once again averaging 90 the following year.
In 2010, Ramprakash again emerged as county cricket’s leading run scorer making 1595 runs and thus gaining further plaudits and widespread speculation about an International return. Retiring in 2012 with 114 First Class hundreds to his name and scored almost 35,000 runs at a staggering average of almost 55. In the 2013 New Year’s Honours List Mark Ramprakash was awarded an MBE for his services to Cricket and went on to be named the batting coach for Middlesex CCC, the first of many roles as a mentor and coach.
An English cricketing legend, Ramprakash gained further popularity as he became the winner of hit BBC show Strictly Come Dancing which significantly increased his demand as a cricket speaker along with his role as the England batting coach. Responsible for developing the future batsman of English cricket, Mark’s unrelenting pursuit for excellence along with his experiences’ of both the highs and lows of the game make him to ideal candidate.
Supremely talented with a record like no other, Mark Ramprakash MBE is most definitely a legend of English cricket, achieving what many could only dream of Mark has almost 50,000 runs in professional cricket to his name. Working a pundit for Sky Sports Ramprakash utilises his knowledge and expertise to provide a fascinating insight into the game similar to his work as a cricket speaker. One of the most prolific batsman English cricket has ever produced, Mark Ramprakash MBE is available to hire as a cricket speaker for any event, dinner or function.
