Strictly Me: My Life Under the Spotlight

by Mark Ramprakash, Karen Hardy (Foreword), Darren Gough (Foreword)

Mark Ramprakash is arguably the greatest English batsman of his generation, but he is also an enigma. He is among an elite group of players who have scored 100 first-class centuries, yet has never flourished as he should have done at Test level. To many people in the UK, he is just as well-known for exploits on the he won Strictly Come Dancing in 2006 and went on to win the Champions of Champions final in 2008 for Sport Relief. Prior to his re-emergence in Strictly Come Dancing, Ramprakash the cricketer was cast as a tortured soul as the media spotlight followed him relentlessly while his international career fluctuated between ecstatic highs and intense lows. He was dropped by England 10 times during a 52-Test career, even though he averaged 42 against the best team in the world, Australia. In Strictly Me , Ramprakash covers in detail all aspects of his cricket career—from the hotheaded cricketing prodigy who made his Test debut for England at the age of 21, to finally being cast aside by his country in 2002, even though in the 2006 and 2007 seasons his batting average for Surrey was over 100. He discusses how he has become one of the UK's best celebrity dancers and how his newfound status as a media celebrity has flourished since then.

288 pages, Hardcover

First published September 1, 2009

Reviews

[Paul Bennett · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ramps was always something of an enigma. He was as naturally gifted as a Gower or a a Bell and as pleasing to watch when he was in form. Unfortunately, rather like his contemporaries Graeme Hick and to a lesser extent John Crawley, his test form never matched that of his other first class cricket.

He can hardly blame his England stats on a lack of opportunity but of course he does. An average of 27 in 52 tests is a poor return and suggests that the selectors were rather too patient in persevering with him. By the latter part of his test career those of us who had cheered him on were at the “why are they picking him again” stage.

I was given this book 12 years ago and have only just got around to reading it. I was left with the impression of a man whose potential was largely unfulfilled despite a stellar first class career. 114 centuries and an average of 53 speak for themselves. If he’d been able to repeat that at test level he’d be amongst the greatest to have played the game. That he did not is a huge shame. He claims in the book that it was not due to temperament but all the other ingredients were there so what else is there? Readers can make up their own minds.