Surrey drummer Mark Ramprakash fighting to be fit for the start of next season after damaging knee ligaments

Ramprakash, 41 years old, was injured playing in a charity for a side game organized by his former teammate Martin Bicknell, County now the Surrey, bowling coach and will undergo surgery next Tuesday.

Ramprakash is now facing a period of rehabilitation of about five months, which means that it may miss the start of the new season which again once should start at the beginning of April.

"It was a very innocuous incident and it is just unfortunate that it happened at this stage of the career of Marc," says Surrey Manager Chris Adams.

"We hope that it will be ready for the start of the season and knowing him not do me surprise .c ' is a coup, but it is obvious that we have to plan to be without him in the opening weeks if it comes to that, and it offers an opportunity for other players show what they can do."

"Mark will be there forever, someone has an opportunity to prove that it can accelerate."

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V England India: develop Ishant Sharma finally take hype media start

Only 22 years old, Sharma has packed in many ups and downs in his career of four years with the lost form testing, confidence and depression between becoming the fifth youngest Launcher to take 100 Test wickets.

Wild Man: melon India Ishant Sharma famous after it was Eoin Morgan caught for 19

Sharma broke out to the stage in Australia 2007 with work over Ricky Ponting of WACA cut on measure for a tall melon, back-of-the-length field.

He was the man of the series when the Australia visited the India 18 months later, but a period of over-bowling, due to the IPL, given him losing his zip at the age of 20 years, and it is only on the recent tour to the West Indies that his reputation has been restored by taking to 22 wickets, including his first five-for four years.

Sharma said that he was suffering from a scrambled spirit, which in turn combine his technique.

Successful as a quick access, it bang in melon, he believes that he began to think too hard on an action which was used to come naturally.

At a given time, it copies the traits of his partner Zaheer Khan, attempting to learn late swing to a fuller length. Many great right-armers step trying to reproduce the skills of a left - arm and it was shortly after Eric Simons, South African bowling coach of the India, arrested the senseless plans of hair and that it is at the core.

The fragile trust has constantly need to boost, and it was shortly after his performance in the first round of this test when he struggled to cope with the slope of the Lord. A quick chat with Zaheer and a change of ends yesterday presented a different result.

"I'm not used to slope of the Lord in the first round." I spoke with Zak, and it has really helped me to give me advice on how to handle. He also told me to Bowl the other end, even if I wanted to Bowl at the end of the Pavilion. If I had overthrown in the first round with the same energy levels that I showed in the second, we would be in much better position now. »

India had an eye rates yesterday with Captain Dhoni MS, with a a match ban if the referee of the match, Ranjan Madugalle, bowling their overs in the match at a touch above 13.3, a time is too slow.

"We did everything we could and [Dhoni] he told us to cut a few seconds here and there to help."

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V England India: England will win the series 1-0, but now they must start to teams

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MV Dhoni has been exceptional. He is a positive cricketer and he thrives on the leadership qualities he has as a captain. He seems to get the best out of all his players. He is quite an aggressive captain.

He is not scared to make moves and manoeuvre his field to give the opposition a chance to play aggressive cricket as well. That will be the challenge in this series.

It may come down to which captain is the more adventurous because I see a lot of runs being scored. The pitches will be good and it may come down to which captain gambles in those key periods.

DP Dhoni will need a Midas touch if he plays on pitches like the Rose Bowl. Batsmen from the Subcontinent are not equipped to play the ball that moves off the seam.

SH You say that but look at Tillakaratne Dilshan, who scored 193 in the Lord’s Test for Sri Lanka. In a way Virender Sehwag is a superior version of Dilshan.

DP I still think he will struggle if the ball goes sideways off the seam.

SH Shane, you helped Chris Tremlett with his development. You must be happy with what you see now.

Shane Warne: It is good to see the penny finally drop. Being the leader of the attack at Surrey has probably helped him. He has also realised that it is now or never. If he did not seize the chance he would have been pushed to one side and known as one of those guys who had all the talent but did not quite make it. But for England to take the next step it is about patience when they are bowling. That means they have to be more consistent. Stuart Broad also needs to work out what his role is. Is he the enforcer? I think he bowls way too short. When he pitches it up, he nips it and swings it and looks dangerous. He has not got any patience when he bowls. If they can find that patience and if Andrew Strauss can be a little bit more pro-active rather than being safe and conservative that will rub off on the rest of the team. If Kevin Pietersen finds his form again and provides that x-factor then there is no reason why England can’t become the No1 team.

SH You have brought us on to Pietersen, Shane. Michael, you had ups and downs in your career. What does he need to do to cement his own confidence?

MV His Test form is not a massive worry. In an x-factor series against India, which will bring big crowds and a buzz, I think he will perform.

DP Shane is right. If England are to go to top spot and stay there they have to have batsmen who can score quick enough to give a top bowling attack time to win a match. Pietersen is the one guy who can get on with it and score at a quick rate. Jonathan Trott and Alastair Cook are knocking out the runs but not at a great rate.

SH Shane I have to ask you about Ian Bell. You christened him the ‘Sherminator’.

SW And rightly so. He does look like the Sherminator.

SH What would you christen him now?

SW The Sherminator. He hasn’t changed. Let’s clear this up about the Sherminator. Michael Clarke and myself were watching the film American Pie in Adelaide and the Sherminator came on. We both looked at each other and said “Gee that looks like Ian Bell”. That was it. I think it has gone on to what the Sherminator’s character was like. That is not what we were talking about. It was just about the way he looks.

He has always been able to play. I think he just needed to convince himself he was good enough at this level. Seeing him play over the last two years he has looked a quality player. If you put Bell in form, Cook, Trott, Strauss, Pietersen with the x-factor and Morgan’s variety together then suddenly you have got a hell of a top six. Throw in Tremlett with his height and steep bounce, James Anderson’s skill of swinging the ball and Graeme Swann as the best spinner in the game and it all looks good. England just need to find the right person to fit in the third seamer’s role and then there will be no weak spot in the team.

SH Do we think overall England can become No?1 team in the world?

DP Absolutely. They have got all the features they need. A great bowling attack. A great top six, as Shane said, plus Matt Prior coming in to be aggressive at seven. They could perhaps do with a guy who could bowl 15 overs in a day for when they get to warmer climes.

MV We are not playing in an era when we have a great team like Australia who have dominated for so long. They were so much better than the rest of the world. India are a good team but you can certainly see England within a year or so getting there. Don’t forget India are going to have to go through a transition soon. They are going to lose players like Australia did and England have their first opportunity to be number one and staying there. That will be the hardest thing — staying there.

SH Michael you have an involvement with NatWest. Are you pleased with the way young players are coming through?

MV The ECB is spending a lot of money on development. The academy at Loughborough is a great facility with all the mod-cons and machinery. English cricket has got a lot of good talent coming through. That stems from the club game. There is a lot being played at that level but perhaps not at school level.

SH There was a time when young players looked out of their depth at Test level but now there is more done to harden players earlier. Are they better prepared than in the past?

MV For the last seven or eight years I think England players have been ready to play. The county game deserves a lot of credit for that as well. It has improved over the last six or seven years and has become a tough environment to play cricket. Guys who have performed well in the county game have got their opportunity at the right time because no longer is it the case that players are picked when not in form.

England have a lot of back-up. In bowling they have Graham Onions, Steve Finn, Chris Woakes and the batting ranks are even stronger with James Hildreth, James Taylor and Jonny Bairstow. There are a number of talented players who could come in. That is pushing this England XI. For many years there were probably only 12 or 13 players who could realistically play for England. Now it is about 20.

SH Derek, what is your impression thinking back to our era when there was a lot of talent but not professionalism?

DP During the time we played most counties had one or two top quality overseas players. At Hampshire you would face Malcolm Marshall and bowl at Gordon Greenidge. They were fine players and county cricket benefitted from them. You have not got that now because international cricket has swamped the itinerary and county cricket suffers from that. On the other hand other players have benefited by being allowed to develop.

Michael was talking about academies and the great job they are doing but I am yet to be persuaded that a manufacturing process is what sport is about. Ultra-professionalism has killed the spectacle for me. You have got to have personalities. Someone complained to me the other day that, successful as they are, the only England player he wants to watch is Kevin Pietersen.

SW On your point, Derek, if you are doing grassroots cricket ask them why they want to play sport. When I was a kid I had heroes and wanted to be like the guys playing the international game. So it is important you have those characters because it helps the grass roots. Put as much money as you like into the game, if the interest is not there and the kids don’t have posters on their wall of their favourite players then it is going to be hard to attract them to grass-roots stuff.

DP The manufacturing process the ECB is trying to achieve kills individuality.

SW There are also too many fines now. If Merv Hughes came in and gave his verbals he would get fined all the time. It is a balance between right image but also having fun.

SH Derek, would you have made it through the current regime?

DP If I had been grabbed by the scruff of the neck at age eight I would have been fine but you do need to express yourself. I’m interested to hear Shane’s experience. You were at the Australian academy and got hoofed out?

SW I actually wrote a letter saying I was not learning anything from doing all these laps and swimming in the pool. I went there to learn to play cricket. They told me I was too much of a liability because I liked to have fun on tour so I drove home and played first-class cricket instead for Victoria. I look at the perfect comparison which is Steve Waugh and Mark Waugh. I would have Mark Waugh in my team every day of the week. He averaged 39 or 40. It is not about averaging 50. It is about way you played the game. Were you entertaining?

MV The key is to have a successful national team so people want to be the likes of Cook and Broad. For many English players over the last 15 years they all wanted to be an Australian player. I wanted to be Australian and winning trophies. I did not want to be an England player because we were not winning any games.

DP As a spectator you come away with a warmer feeling if you see KP score an 82-ball hundred than Alastair Cook grind out 160.

SW It is important England nail teams if they get them on the ropes. Make it more entertaining and be more aggressive. If you do that then it is fun for the players and that comes across to crowd. To summarise I think we all believe England are a good side. They have variety in their attack. They have great top order batting, for them to make next step and stay there it will be about how they play the game. If they just stick to process and wear oppositions down they will not win series by whitewashes. They are just going to do enough and win 1-0. Strauss needs to put them in a situation where it is win at all costs. Then it is fun, it is energising and makes it entertaining for everyone.

Michael Vaughan is captain of the NatWest Cricket Club, which aims to generate £20?million of additional support for the game at community level. Join the NatWest Cricket Club for free today for a chance to win tickets to the NatWest Series England v India ODIs, and to find out how to do more to help your local club this August through the NatWest CricketForce Fundraiser. www.natwest.com/cricket

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Stuart Broad v Tim Bresnan: The expert verdicts on who should start for England at Lord's against India

There were reasonable signs for him in that game. He got the ball through at good pace in the first innings when the wicket seemed to be quicker.

He then bowled a good eight-over spell in the second innings against Somerset, which really got him going. He could have picked up more than just the one wicket. As it was he dismissed their best player - Marcus Trescothick - so you have got to be happy with that.

That said, I don’t think Stuart’s performance in that game will be hugely influential on whether he plays at Lord’s.

If it had gone particularly badly it could have affected him, but ultimately it’s down to conditions at Lord’s and whether the selectors want a swing bowler or a more bouncy bowler against India.

England seem to have demonstrated on a number of occasions the faith they have in him. They talk a lot about the confidence they have in him, so this is the time to show it.

Andrew Gale (Yorkshire captain)

I like to pick people who are in form and Tim showed in the recent

one-day series against Sri Lanka that he is definitely the man in form at the moment.

People might have thought that he would be a little bit under-cooked after his injury but he came back and found his rhythm straight away. That’s a big thing and so, if it was my call, I would probably go for him ahead of Stuart Broad.

Tim bowled really well for us in our County Championship match against Worcestershire at Scarborough last week. He hadn’t bowled in a

four-day game for a while but he put the ball in good areas consistently throughout, he got four wickets in the first innings and he also contributed well so we were delighted with him.

He would probably have liked to have played a couple more four-day games but most of the England boys have not played any four-day cricket since the recent Test series against Sri Lanka.

Tim probably has the edge over Stuart Broad as a batsman. He’s been very solid with the bat for us this season.

He made 87 in his first championship match against Hampshire back in May and he also got 41 in the first innings against Worcestershire last week so he is consistent.

He’s also probably a bit more consistent with the ball than Broad. Tim bowls a fuller length than Stuart and gets the ball to swing.

But he’s a versatile bowler because he also has the ability to reverse swing the ball.

He did that to great effect in the Ashes series in Australia last winter where he played a key role and that versatility makes him a slightly different bowler to Stuart and a good performer when it matters most.

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Worcestershire v Yorkshire: Adil Rashid gets off to a flying start with six-wicket haul

 Fine start: Adil Rashid celebrates taking his first wicket, that of Worcesterhsire's Vikram Solanki Photo: GETTY IMAGES

Adil Rashid exploited conditions that were more reminiscent of August than early April with a first-day six-wicket haul in front of watching England selector Geoff Miller.

Seamers usually thrive on early-season green-tops at New Road but with little rain since January, groundsman Tim Packwood was able to produce an unusually dry pitch. Rashid cashed in, undermining Worcestershire after a promising start on their return to the top flight with six for 77 in 29 overs.

The leg-spinner’s figures are believed to be the best by a spinner on the first day of a championship season at New Road since Worcestershire entered the competition in 1899. It was a mature performance that may have gone some way to convincing Miller that Rashid is ready for Test cricket if England decide to play another spinner alongside Graeme Swann.

England have so far used Rashid sparingly, in just five one-days internationals and as many T20 internationals. He was flown out to the World Cup as replacement for Mike Yardy but arrived in Colombo just in time to watch England’s quarter-final defeat by Sri Lanka.

Rashid helped South Australia win Australia’s Big Bash Twenty20 competition before his travels during a busy second half of the winter took him to the Caribbean, where he took 13 wickets in four matches for England Lions.

There was a little slow turn for Rashid yesterday but he took most of his wickets through intelligent variations of flight and pace and regular use of his googly and slider.

“I’ve come into the season with a bit of match practice in the winter but to get six wickets in the first game is a real confidence booster,” Rashid said.

“The pitch was quite dry and it turned only slowly so I had to mix up, bowling a lot of googlies and sliders.”

Rashid bowled few bad balls but the same could not be said of the seamers, who allowed Worcestershire to prosper in the morning then rally in the evening when Matt Mason and Alan Richardson plundered 68 in a lively last-wicket stand.

Mason thumped eight fours and flicked Ryan Sidebottom for six in a 48-ball half-century. He was trying to scamper the single that would have taken him to a career-best score of 64 when he was run out by a direct hit from Steve Patterson.

Some bookmakers have made Worcestershire 20-1 on favourites to be relegated for the fourth time after just one season in the First Division and 100-1 to win the title.

Two years ago they were relegated without winning a match but the battling qualities that secured them promotion against the odds last season were evident on occasions here.

Daryl Mitchell, an unassuming and underrated cricketer, played fluently, taking three fours from one wayward Patterson over, until he was pinned LBW propping forward to Rashid’s slider one short of his first half century since he was appointed Worcestershire captain last August.

Matt Pardoe, a tall and well-organised left-hander from Kidderminster, showed more composure on his debut than Alexei Kervezee and Moeen Ali and he helped to rebuild the innings in a sixth-wicket stand of 62 with the aggressive Gareth Andrew.

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