New challenges for Ramps

Mark Ramprakash laps up the applause from his fans and team-mates © Getty Images

Surrey batsman Mark Ramprakash had a busy week spent picking up awards and trophies. He will not be letting up in the winter either, with dancing and playing beach cricket in Australia high up on his agenda.

The 37-year-old was named the PCA Players’ Player of the Year at the annual awards ceremony at the Royal Albert Hall on Monday and then ended the week with the Brit Insurance Batsman of the Season and Players’ Player of the Year accolades for Surrey.

Ramprakash was delighted to be nominated by his peers, saying that to have the respect of those around him is “very special.”

Speaking of the PCA ceremony, he told ecb.co.uk: “I was really chuffed. It is a very big award, a very prestigious award. Some great names have won it in the past. For me it was a very big moment in my career.

He also paid tribute to his fellow nominees, knowing that any one of them could have won the award.

“Obviously there were some other guys like Ian Bell and Mushtaq Ahmed who had terrific seasons, and to win it meant a lot to me.

Mushtaq Ahmed spun Sussex to the 2006 championship title

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“That is something that does matter to me - how I get on with other players around the circuit. And to feel that they voted for me is something very special.”

He echoed those sentiments at Surrey’s end of season gala ceremony, where he won both awards for the fourth year in succession.

“It has been one of those seasons where, even though I have been doing things the same way, everything has really clicked. I have really enjoyed this year.”

Having cracked batsmanship, Ramprakash is now looking for a new challenge and has signed up to take part in BBC One’s ‘Strictly Come Dancing’ before Christmas. He will be adding to those TV appearances with stints in the Sky Sports studio during the India Challenger Series and the ICC Champions Trophy.

Mark Ramprakash will be on television quite a bit this winter

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He has also agreed to take part in a beach cricket tournament in Australia after Christmas, where legends from England, West Indies and Australia will be competing against each other at temporary beach stadiums on the Gold Coast, Perth and Sydney.

The six-a-side exhibition matches will be played on specially developed plastic matting with a beach cricket ball - a tennis ball stitched inside leather and taped up on one side so it is guaranteed to swing.

Ramprakash is looking forward to trying something new, and once again pitting himself against the likes of Courtney Walsh, Curtly Ambrose and Mark Waugh.

“I was playing a game for Surrey against Essex and Graham Gooch came up to me with the proposition, asking me if I wanted to join a trip down under after Christmas to play beach cricket.”

Graham Gooch will be skipper of the England legends team

The English team will be captained by Gooch, with Robin Smith, Allan Lamb, Graeme Hick, Adam Hollioake, Darren Gough and Ramprakash all in the line-up.

Australia will be led by Allan Border, with Dean Jones, Kim Hughes, Damien Fleming, Jeff Thomson, Dennis Lillee and Waugh also in attendance.

Walsh is in charge of West Indies, alongside regular sparring partner Ambrose, Joel Garner, Desmond Haynes, Richie Richardson, Phil Simmons and Jimmy Adams.

“It sounds an interesting trip, shall we say. It’s going to be another challenge," added Ramprakash. "I might be the only sober one there!”