Afzaal backs Ramps for huge Ashes finale

By djones bymarcus hook

SURREY'S Usman Afzaal has added to the calls for Mark Ramprakash to play in next week's Ashes decider at the Brit Oval.

Afzaal has spent quite a bit of time out in the middle with Ramprakash this summer. Last weekend they shared in a 156-run stand in 26 overs for the fourth wicket, to set-up a fascinating final day against Derbyshire at Whitgift School.

Ramprakash took the opportunity to notch up the 108th hundred of his first-class career, taking him to joint 16th in the all-time list.

After the match, which ended in a draw, Afzaal said: "Ramps should have been in the England side in 2006 and 2007, when he scored over two thousand runs in a season and averaged over 100. There's no one better than him in English cricket.

"People can talk all they want about young players, but I believe if you're getting runs then you play. That's how the Australians do it, why don't we do it as well?

"The great man deserves every acknowledgement and if he does get back into the England side I have full faith and trust in the man that he will go out there and perform.

"Why do you play county cricket? You play county cricket because you hope that if you perform you'll get picked to play international cricket. Ramps is a man who does it year in year out."

Afzaal is also doing well with the bat. In this season's LV County Championship he's scored 896 runs at an average of 68.92, including centuries against Northants and Essex, and looks set to eclipse his best year with the bat, in 2004, when he averaged 59.34 in first-class cricket.

Afzaal joked: "Yeah, you might want to mention my name in terms of England while you're at it," before adding: "My main aim is to stay neck and neck with Ramps. If you do that you set yourself a good benchmark. I'm averaging 69 and he's averaging 100, but I want to get as close to him as I can."

Reflecting on the Brown Caps' winning draw against Derbyshire, the 32-year-old said: "There was a little bit of time taken out of the game by the weather, but if you took a wicket, you felt you could get two or three.

"Derbyshire played good cricket. They also came here to win, which is a good attitude. But credit to our team, we stuck at it for four days and out of all of it we only had a two bad sessions, but we went hard and strong at them and you can't ask for much more than that."

It seems as though there is nobody harder or stronger in the Surrey camp than Andre Nel, who turned out against Derbyshire despite needing an operation on his injured left elbow.

But Nel went under the knife on Monday and may now be out for the remainder of the campaign.

Afzaal said: "He's a top cricketer and a person who you'd rather have in your side than playing against you."