Bowled during the second Test in Kandy

But what if it was a knowing smile?

After all, before the winter tours, he had been dropped as many times than as cat has lives and still he found favour with the England captain and coach.

He might for instance know that when one batsman breaks a finger and another ricks his back during the long summer to come, he will walk back into the dressing-room ready to resume his Test career.

It has been that sort of life for Hick.

But for those who believe that to be dropped for a 10th time really should spell the end for any batsman should consider Hick's track record.

After seven years spent qualifying to be eligible to play for England, Hick was all but carried into Headingley on the shoulders of his new team-mates, so much was expected of him.

And, as we all know now, he flopped.

Hughes won his mental battle with Hick

Just as he had been undone by Ambrose in 1991, it was Merv Hughes who set out to destroy Hick now and he succeeded with three dismissals out of four.

But, as before, the pardon was not long in coming.

Already 4-0 down by the final Test, and with nothing left to lose, England made wholesale changes for The Oval, including the recall of Hick to bat at No 3.

The result was scores of 80 and 36 and victory by 161 runs.

Over the next two years, Hick scored 1,077 runs at 43.08 against the West Indies, New Zealand, South Africa and Australia - proof that his troubles were more mental than technical.

But the moment he got into some difficulty - as he did against the West Indies in 1995, and then against Pakistan the following summer - he was discarded without a second thought.

Back he came against South Africa and Sri Lanka, and back out he went again. And so the story was repeated, against Australia, New Zealand and then the West Indies.

Why?

Partly it is because Hick continues to have a role to play in the one-day game and can draw attention to himself there, and partly it is because it has often proved impossible to ignore a player with over 100 first-class centuries to his name.

And there is also the case of the alternatives to consider.

Mark Ramprakash is (we assume) now out of the reckoning, Nick Knight has clear technical difficulties at the highest level, and John Crawley has first to convince himself that he is good enough before he can convince others of the same.

Will Hick be given a contract for the summer?

And of the young brigade, David Sales was injured before the A tour began and could miss the entire English season, Vikram Solanki has gone backwards recently, and Darren Maddy seems to have sunk without trace.

That leaves only Michael Vaughan who should before long become an England regular in his own right.

Hick might be coming up to 35, but he continues to be the fittest member of the side.

With Michael Atherton and Alec Stewart approaching the end of their playing days, to write Hick off now might be premature.