In fact, Robinson and Broad both averaged more than Gooch around the time Goochie was recalled initially. In fact, poor old Foxy Fowler was the one actually dropped for Gooch having just had his best ever tour for England scoring a double hundred in India. His average of 35 was the equal of Gooch's and he played the five tests in 84 against the West Indies. He was only 27. After Robinson's great form in India and good performances in the 85 Ashes and Broad's form in The 86/7 Ashes there was an argument for them not picking Gooch ever again after he refused to tour Australia in 87. If it wasn't for his hundred in the 87 MCC centenary test he may have never played again and we could have been using him as a direct comparison for what has happened with Ramprakash. Gooch was then brought back in (after also opting out of the NZ tour in 87-88) and made skipper at 36 after another woeful series against Terry Alderman in 89.

The main fact is that Gooch scored runs well into his 40s (having not previously distinguished themselves at test level), so the same could be said for any other player. Obviously, once Gooch was picked to play alongside Robinson and Broad he proved to be the better player.....but the same could be true for Ramprakash when compared to Bell and Collingwood.