Robinson suspended from international cricket: All you need to know
England fast bowler Ollie Robinson has been suspended from international cricket after his controversial tweets from 2012 and 2013 were highlighted recently. The tweets were discovered on the first day of Robinson's Test debut at Lord's, while he was en route to his maiden four-wicket haul. As a result, Robinson will remain unavailable for selection for the upcoming match against New Zealand.
The suspension means Robinson will miss the second Test against New Zealand, starting Thursday at Edgbaston. Announcing his suspension, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) confirmed that Robinson will leave the England camp immediately and return to his county, Sussex.
ECB's chief executive, Tom Harrison, had earlier confirmed that a disciplinary process and full investigation would be initiated. "England and Sussex bowler Ollie Robinson has been suspended from international cricket pending the outcome of a disciplinary investigation following historic tweets he posted in 2012 and 2013. Robinson will leave the England camp immediately," an ECB statement at the conclusion of the first Test read.
It is understood that Robinson is allowed to play for Sussex during the investigation. The nature of his punishment is yet to be ascertained. Robinson is expected to be fined or suspended for a certain number of matches. Robinson, who is not a part of England's white-ball set-up, will likely feature in the five-Test series against India in August.
The tweets of Robinson, which are deemed "racist" and "sexist" in nature, resurfaced on the day of his Test debut. Notably, he and his English team-mates sported black 'anti-discrimination' jerseys before the start of the Test at Lord's. Robinson has also been involved in several controversies in past. He even had his Yorkshire contract terminated in 2014 due to a "number of unprofessional actions".
England's Ollie Robinson issues a statement of apology after racist and sexist tweets from his account resurfaced on the day he made his Test debut. pic.twitter.com/VYozhSeo30
— ESPNcricinfo (@ESPNcricinfo) June 2, 2021
The incident came to light at a time when the ECB is trying to make the game more accessible to people of all backgrounds. Notably, several former England cricketers recently opened up on the discrimination they faced during their careers. Moreover, the ECB, like a number of other boards, has also stood against racism in recent times.
Speaking after the drawn first Test, England captain Joe Root, besides praising Robinson, said that his historical actions were unacceptable. "It's not acceptable within our game. We all know that. He addressed the dressing room straight away. He obviously spoke to you guys and other media outlets straight away, fronted up to it. He showed a lot of remorse," said Root.
Right-arm seamer Robinson was impressive on his Test debut. He was the pick of England's bowlers in the first innings, having registered figures of 4/75. The 27-year-old shone in the second innings too, taking three scalps. He had earned his maiden Test call-up after performing well in domestic cricket. The tall seamer had scalped 279 wickets before the start of Lord's Test.
