England's Ollie Robinson gave Usman Khawaja a verbal send-off during the first men's Ashes Test on Sunday; He told journalists afterwards he "doesn't care how it is perceived"; watch second Test live from from Wednesday June 28 on Sky Sports
Thursday 22 June 2023 20:41, UK
Ollie Robinson has avoided any sanctions after he was criticised for his send-off when bowling out Australia's Usman Khawaja for 141 during the first Ashes Test at Edgbaston.
Robinson was happy to offer Australia some verbals on and off the pitch during England's narrow defeat, including an expletive-laden send off to Khawaja and then defending his behaviour in a press conference where he asked: "If you can't handle that, what can you handle?"
He continued: "When you're in the heat of the moment and have the passion of the Ashes that can happen. "I don't really care how it's perceived, to be honest. We've all seen Ricky Ponting and other Aussies do that to us so just because the shoe's on the other foot, it's not received well.
"It's my first home Ashes and to get that big wicket was special for me, massive for the team as [Khawaja] played unbelievably. We all want that theatre of the game and I am here to provide it."
Ponting and fellow former Australia team-mate Matthew Hayden criticised Robinson, who will be back in action next Wednesday when the second men's Ashes Test, from Lord's gets under way.
Declining to use Robinson's name in an appearance on Australia's SEN Radio, Hayden said: "The other bloke, he's a forgettable cricketer.
"(He's) a fast bowler that is bowling 124kmph nude nuts and he's got a mouth from the south. Someone like him, you can just go, 'Brother, I'm coming at ya'. Davey Warner can do that, right. He can just say, 'You're bowling 120'."
Ponting added on the ICC Review Podcast: "If he is sitting back thinking about me, then no wonder he bowled like the way that he did in that game, if he's worried about what I did 15 years ago.
"This England cricket team hasn't played against Australia and they will find out pretty quickly what playing Ashes cricket and playing against a good Australian cricket team is all about. If Ollie Robinson hasn't learned that already after last week, then he's a slow learner.
"He'll learn pretty quickly that if you're going to talk to Australian cricketers in an Ashes series, then you want to be able to back it up with your skills."
Robinson is sure to have a target on his back when the series resumes at Lord's next week, but fellow seamer Stuart Broad is reluctant to pass on the baton.
Broad has long been the preferred target for Australian fans, dating back to a curious incident in 2013 when he declined to walk after his outside edge was parried to slip.
Replying to a Twitter post from Australian broadcaster Fox Sports, which referred to Robinson as 'No 1 Villain', Broad wrote: "I can't have lost that tag already can I?! Disappointing."
The men's Ashes resumes at Lord's on Wednesday June 28 with the second of five Tests. Build-up begins on Sky Sports Cricket at 10am ahead of the first ball at 11am.
