Mark Ramprakash might be softly spoken but England’s Test match batting coach is a fluid talker who reduces his answers to blunt replies only when asked about the imminent tour of Bangladesh. Eoin Morgan, England’s limited-overs captain, and Alex Hales, who opens the batting in all three forms of international cricket, will not travel because of security concerns after a recent terrorist attack in Bangladesh. It is striking how, when we reach the subject, Ramprakash resorts to unambiguous language and even one-word answers.
There is an emphatic and simple “yes” from Ramprakash when he is asked if making himself available for the tour was a clear-cut decision. An equally resounding “no” follows when the next query wonders if has any lingering worries about safety.
We talk a few days before there is public confirmation that Morgan and Hales will not be travelling – but it is already an open secret. And so Ramprakash responds with a firm shake of his head and a reply of “No, I didn’t,” when asked if he felt even fleeting uncertainty about touring after hearing that 28 people, included 20 hostages, had been killed in a cafe in Dhaka in early July. These stark answers seem even more powerful when set against an hour together, in which Ramprakash provides layered replies to every other query.
The former Test cricketer soon explains why he has taken such a decisive line. After receiving clearance to travel from Reg Dickason, England’s respected security consultant, Ramprakash believes: “Bangladesh are improving all the time even though they haven’t played much Test cricket – and this is why it’s so important to fulfil our commitment to tour. Bangladesh needs Test cricket and we should help them as much as we can.
“Andrew Strauss [England’s director of cricket] has spoken about the need to give a shot in the arm to the Test game and I believe we must develop it as much as we can. Bangladesh have good cricketers. They deservedly beat England in the World Cup last year so we know they are a very good one-day side. But lots of their cricketers have spoken about their desire to develop as Test players. We should welcome that and support Bangladesh.”
The decision not to tour might cost Morgan the future captaincy and Hales his Test place. Does Ramprakash have any sympathy for them? “It’s up to them. The official line is that everyone is allowed to make their own decision.”
Morgan has explained that being close to danger on two separate occasions in India and Bangladesh, when playing in the IPL and the Dhaka Premier League, has made him wary. But Ramprakash faced similar issues as an England player 15 years ago. In the troubling wake of 9/11, England’s tour of India in 2001 was subjected to even more intense scrutiny.
“I was part of that tour,” the 47-year-old Ramprakash remembers of a trip from whichhis team-mates Andrew Caddick and Robert Croft withdrew because of security fears. It was another unequivocal decision for Ramprakash. “Again, I felt it was the right thing to do. I wanted to go. There were no problems. It was a good tour even if it wasn’t particularly memorable in terms of entertaining cricket.”
Sitting with Ramprakash in central London, we discuss being vulnerable to terrorism on a September afternoon in the heart of the City – just as people are in Paris or Dhaka, Mumbai or New York. No one in any major city can claim to be entirely safe from another attack. Ramprakash chooses to live positively – and with a social conscience.
On Twitter he is not afraid to criticise the Conservative government and this month he has been withering towards the health secretary and the prime minister. “Typical of Jeremy Hunt ‘Health secretary’ to pass the blame to the BMA/junior doctors, people whose life is spent caring for others,” Ramprakash tweeted before adding: “It’s a real shame that T May doesn’t value those in the medical profession. Striking is a last resort #NHS #juniordoctors.”
These views explain why Ramprakash is an ardent supporter of the Sick Children’s Trust – a charity that helps more than 4,000 families every year. The trust provides free “home from home” accommodation for families with seriously ill children at leading paediatric hospitals in Britain. As the charity relies on donations, Ramprakash always plays in their annual cricket day to raise funds.
We divide our interview into two chunks – fitting them between six-a-side games – and it is a treat to see Ramprakash bat again. After he reels off two unbeaten knocks, full of elegant sixes, he smiles when describing the club-level bowling as being “very friendly”. More importantly, he helps raise £57,000 for the trust.
Following his second stroll with the bat he considers the health of a sporting discipline he loves. Ramprakash and I have discussed previously the discrepancy between his county and Test careers. He scored two centuries in 52 Tests, at an average of 27.32 – whereas his average in first-class cricket, having racked up 114 centuries, three fewer than Don Bradman, was 53.14. That contrast means Ramprakash is an empathetic coach to both struggling and sublimely gifted batsmen.
Ramprakash suffered in Test cricket – but his passion for this form of the game is intense. He looks sad when asked if, after a riveting series between England and Pakistan, he feels renewed optimism for Test cricket. “No. I really don’t. That’s again why I think it’s so important we go to Bangladesh. I agree totally with Andrew Strauss when he talks about being open to day-night Tests and other new ideas. I like the Test and one-dayers being linked in a series like this summer. You have to ensure Test cricket is evolving.”
Ramprakash grimaces when asked if he expects Test cricket to be secure in 20 years. “I don’t know. I hope so. Test cricket is still the ultimate test and we have wonderful matches. The Pakistan series was great, entertaining cricket.”
One of the innovations being considered is a two-tier system in Test cricket with relegation and promotion. Ramprakash is not convinced. “I would prefer not to go down that two-tier format. I haven’t thought about it in detail but it’s really important to encourage other nations. Ireland, for example. If we could foster Test cricketers in more countries it can only be a good thing.”
After England play two Tests in Bangladesh, they face India in November and December. “To do well in Australia is the ultimate challenge but India comes a very close second – especially in a five-Test series,” Ramprakash says. “That’s really exciting. With five Tests there is nowhere to hide.”
The Test and one-day squads will be announced on Friday and the most contentious position is Alastair Cook’s partner to open the batting. Hales has not quite replicated the undoubted talent he shows in white-ball cricket and doubts surrounding his future in the Test arena will be intensified by his decision not to play in Bangladesh. “He’s thought long and hard about his game,” Ramprakash says of Hales. “Alex played extremely well against Sri Lanka. He got 86 and 94 at Headingley and Lord’s and showed he can build an innings at Test level – and it was a surprise when he got out. I remember how well he was doing at Headingley when the ball was moving around appreciably. He batted time, he left well, he did all the things a traditional Test opener would do.
“Of course, Pakistan were a different proposition. Mohammad Amir with the new ball was a real challenge. While he got a half-century at Edgbaston he didn’t get the runs he was hoping to. But opening the batting in Test cricket is tough and it’s especially tough when you’re also opening in one-day and T20 cricket. I’ve seen enough to suggest Hales can develop into a very good Test opener – but it’s up to the selectors whether they persist in investing in him.”
An intriguing contender to replace Hales, both now and on a permanent basis, is 19-year-old Haseeb Hameed of Lancashire. “I’ve seen quite a lot of him. I first saw him when he was 16 and hugely impressive. He recently came to the [Pakistan] Test match at Old Trafford and he had a 40-minute bat in the lunch break. We also had a good chat. He’s got very good technique, excellent temperament and an ability to bat for long periods of time. He plays the ball late and his results this year show that he’s careful about his shot selection.
“He’s very impressive – not just as a player but as a young man. He’s coped admirably with opening in Division One and he’s a leading contender with Keaton Jennings, Nick Gubbins and Sam Robson. Those four are at the head of the queue.”
In the middle order James Vince appears most in jeopardy. “Vince is very good at putting a bad ball away for four. But he is still learning to construct his innings and turn those starts into big scores. He was on 35 [against Sri Lanka] in Durham, playing well, and it was a big surprise when he got out. Same thing at Edgbaston in the second innings [against Pakistan]. He tried to adapt his game as the team needed him to bat time and he did that well. He got 42 and it was again a surprise when he got out. He’s very talented but in the longer form you need a lot of care about when you attack and when you leave or defend.”
For 18 months Ramprakash was responsible for England’s batsmen in all three formats but, since last September, he has concentrated on the Test team. Graham Thorpe now coaches the limited-overs batsmen. Was this Ramprakash’s choice? “No. Andrew Strauss looked at the schedule and it was his suggestion. It’s pretty brutal in terms of time away and right now it gives me breathing space. I will go to Bangladesh on 8 October and then return from India on 22 December. The one-day team arrive in Bangladesh 10 days before me and then they have ODIs in India and then the Caribbean. Instead, I’ve been asked to do the England U-19 trip to India. So I will go back to India for four weeks in late January.”
Ramprakash has already been to India this year and sampled T20 coaching in the IPL. “I pushed to do it. The last thing I want is to be pigeon-holed. I’m helping out with the Tests at the moment but I want to be proactive in learning new aspects of limited-over cricket. I went to India for eight days, to Kolkata and Mumbai. I watched three games and spoke to the coaches which was great experience. At Kolkata, the coaches were Wasim Akram, Simon Katich and Jacques Kallis. At Mumbai, it was Ricky Ponting and Jonty Rhodes. It was an amazing mix and I learnt a lot that translates into my coaching here.”
Does the idea of becoming a head coach, in all formats of the game, interest Ramprakash? “It definitely does appeal to me. Over the last four years I’ve gained a lot of experience and I’d like to gravitate towards that head coach position. I’m really enjoying my current role but, as a person, having new experiences is healthy. That’s another reason why I’m always open to travelling to Bangladesh and India.”
