Mark Ramprakash's Biography

Who is Mark Ramprakash?

Mark Ramprakash was born on 5 September 1969 in Bushey, Hertfordshire to a Guyanese father and an English mother.

Mark Ramprakash, or Ramps as he's sometimes known, went to Belmont Primary School, Gayton High School, and Harrow Weald Sixth Form College.

He has performed as a batsman to the highest level at county level - first for Middlesex and then for Surrey, but has failed to produce his best for England. Ramprakash made 52 appearances off and on for England over 11 years.

Simon Wilde in his interview with Mark Ramprakash in The Times, gave some background, quoting Nasser Hussain's autobiography, Playing With Fire, on why Ramprakash may have underperformed for England:

"Ramps had it all: the technique, the shots, the aggression, the discipline. In his training and his healthy eating he was very like Stewie, but Alec was very straightforward in his attitude to batting. Ramps was more like me with his theories, nervousness, bat handle obsession and stuff like that.

"Ramps was a very fiery character with a lot of pent-up aggression. You had to stay out of his way when he was out — again like me — but he was a nice guy."

Mark Ramprakash, who in 2006 and 2007 had fantastic seasons for Surrey, followed in the footsteps of fellow cricketer, Darren Gough, who won Strictly come Dancing in 2005.

Ramprakash's season was so good in 2006 that he was named PCA Player of the Year, ending Andrew Flintoff's two-year reign.

In Strictly Come Dancing, Mark Ramprakash danced with Karen Hardy and they won the 2006 competition.

Ramprakash likes Arsenal and CSI Las Vegas.

Mark Ramprakash wrote a diary, Four More Weeks, about when he took over the Surrey captaincy from the injured Mark Butcher. Four More Weeks covers the period of Surrey's relegation.

He went from being Middlesex Batting Coach in 2012-2014 to a long-term role as England Batting Coach.

The Daily Mail reported how Mark Ramprakash had an affair with single mother Sadia Saleem before he started Strictly Come Dancing, but that he would "still be spending the festive season with his wife of 15 years, Vandana, and two daughters, aged nine and four."

In April 2010 Mark Ramprakash and his wife Vandana announced that they were getting divorced.

On 5 July 2012, Mark Ramprakash announced his retirement from all forms of cricket.

He was appointed England batting coach in 2014 but In March 2019 it was revealed that he would not be part of the coaching staff for the forthcoming Ashes series.

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