BBC SPORT | Cricket | Ramprakash the spinner

Mark Ramprakash - thus far regarded as a specialist batsman - may have found a new niche for himself in the England one-day squad as an all-rounder.

The Surrey right-hander bowls occasional off-breaks, but skipper Nasser Hussain thinks rather more of them than Ramprakash himself.

And after grabbing three wickets in seven tidy overs as England went 1-0 up in the five-match series against Zimbabwe, Ramprakash may find himself bowling on a regular basis.

Variety is the new by-word for Hussain - and with Marcus Trescothick bowling his medium pace occasionally, England now have seven bowlers to choose from.

Hussain explained: "Mark doesn't like bowling that much and I have to drag him to the crease sometimes.

Ramprakash removes Viljoen on Wednesday

"But he spins it and on a wicket like Harare you need your variation - you need someone to come on and do things like that.

"I was pleased with the way he bowled, batted and fielded - he's a good all-round cricketer which is what we're looking for."

Bigger test in India

It remains to be seen, however, if Ramprakash will get away with such tight spells when the one-day squad is sent to India, where even decent spinners are routinely punished.

But he could still play a big role for England on the slow tracks out in Zimbabwe for the remainder of the series there.

If England go into the second Harare one-dayer with an unchanged side, Andrew Flintoff may need to perform to resist the claims of batsman Owais Shah.

And if Ramprakash can be relied on to bowl a full spell if necessary, it may well be possible to have an extra batter in the side.


	Links to more Cricket stories