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.
