Since the commencement of the Ashes 2023, England fast bowler Ollie Robinson has become a prominent topic of discussion on social media. His intense on-field battles with Australian batsman Usman Khawaja have been extensively covered. However, Robinson has faced significant criticism for some of the derogatory remarks he made towards Khawaja during the match.
This is not the first time Robinson has been labeled a “big mouth” on the field. Even during India’s tour of England in 2021, he attracted backlash for his unsportsmanlike behavior. The then-Indian captain Virat Kohli engaged in a verbal duel with Robinson, and it’s safe to say that Kohli emerged victorious.
In the second Test of the India tour, Kohli decided to give Robinson a taste of his own medicine. He taunted Robinson by questioning the excitement of his innings and sarcastically suggested that perhaps that’s the only way he knows how to survive in a test match. Kohli went on to address Robinson as a “big mouth” and mockingly asked if he was planning to bring his sheets along. A video capturing this incident was also released.
I want to see Aussies do this to Ollie Robinson in the next test pic.twitter.com/Nskmp5dzBz
— ABBA Fan (@_Blindinho_) June 23, 2023
The atmosphere on the field changed when Indian players witnessed Jasprit Bumrah delivering a series of bouncers to James Anderson in the first innings.
During the first Ashes Test at Edgbaston, Robinson directed some unnecessary comments towards Khawaja and defended his behavior by citing former Australian captain Ricky Ponting, who had also been known to engage in sledging players in a similar manner. Unsatisfied with his name being involved in the controversy, Ponting responded sharply to Robinson’s actions.
“As I mentioned when Ollie Robinson made his remarks, this England cricket team hasn’t yet faced Australia, and they will soon discover what playing Ashes cricket against a formidable Australian team truly entails,” Ponting expressed. “If Robinson hasn’t learned that lesson from last week, then he’s a slow learner.”
When questioned about his altercation with Khawaja, Robinson brushed off concerns about the Australian players’ reactions, stating that he sees himself as someone who adds theatricality to the game.