Ollie Robinson angered some Australians during the first Ashes Test (Picture: Getty)
Matthew Hayden has described England bowler Ollie Robinson as a ‘forgettable cricketer’ and urged Australia to hit him out of the attack during the next Ashes Test.
Robinson angered some Australians during the first Test at Edgbaston after aiming a fiery send-off at Usman Khawaja, who he bowled for 141 on day three.
The pair also exchanged words on day five before Australia clinched a thrilling two-wicket win to take a 1-0 lead in the five-match series.
‘The other bloke [Robinson], he’s a forgettable cricketer,’ Hayden said on Australian radio show SEN. ‘A fast bowler bowling 120 (kph) 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 120km”.’
Robinson, who took five wickets in the Ashes opener, said he did not care how his celebration of Khawaja’s dismissal was perceived in the Australia dressing room.
‘It’s my first home Ashes and to get the big wicket at the time was special for me,’ the Sussex bowler said. ‘I think Uzzie played unbelievably well.
Matthew Hayden described Robinson as a ‘forgettable cricketer’ (Picture: Getty)
‘To get that wicket for us as a team at the time was massive. We all want that theatre of the game, don’t we? So I’m here to provide it.
‘I don’t really care how it’s perceived, to be honest. It’s the Ashes. It’s professional sport. If you can’t handle that, what can you handle?’
Robinson also said England have had to accept send-offs from Australians for years, name-dropping Ricky Ponting as someone who was not immune from shows of aggression on the field.
Responding to Robinson’s comments, the former Australia captain said: ‘If he’s worried about hat I did or said 15 years ago, then no wonder he bowled like the way that he did in that game.
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‘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.’
England will attempt to level the series at Lord’s next week but Ponting believes the hosts have ‘more questions to answer’ than Australia, who are bidding to retain the Ashes and win a Test series in England for the first time since 2001.
‘As far as I’m concerned now, England have more questions to answer than Australia,’ Ponting added. ‘On their style of play, but also now looking at that first Test, they’ve got some selection issues that they’re going to have to deal with as well.
‘I think it’s going to be a really, really good test for England. Actually, I think it’s going to be a good test for their style of play. I think it’s going to be a good test for their leadership and their coaching.’
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‘A fast bowler bowling 120km and he’s got a mouth from the south.’
