Meeting Across the River

Frank Keating in today's Grauniad -

"[Ramprakash's] move south across the Thames coincided with the England management terminally washing their hands of the batsman's Test match underachievement - an average of 27 in 52 Tests with only two (however fine) centuries. The transfer to The Oval, however, was such an obvious and striking life-changing watershed for Ramprakash's psyche, spirit and utterly glorious late-flowering talent that it was (and continues to be) infuriating, almost shaming, how for the past half-dozen years successive Lord's mandarins (the dreaded po-faced politburo of Graveney-Fletcher-Hussain-Vaughan-Moores) have with such wantonly brazen impenitence refused, it seems, to so much as even glance at the batting averages. Those in the media who closely follow the game have, to my mind, been just as grievously culpable at kowtowing to, and finding simpering excuses for, the official party line. The exasperated, knowing public laugh at them as well."