NEW ZEALAND'S TOUR OF ENGLAND, 2021
Robinson to miss Edgbaston Test after ECB hands suspension
Ollie Robinson will miss the second Test against New Zealand at Edgbaston after being suspended from international cricket by the ECB pending an investigation into the racist and sexist tweets the fast-bowler sent as a 18 year old.
The tweets were discovered on Wednesday (June 2), the first day of Robinson's Test debut at Lord's, and made public while he was taking four wickets in New Zealand's first innings. At the close of play, the 27 year-old, visibly upset, apologised and said he was going through a difficult period in his life when he sent the offending tweets.
"I want to make it clear that I'm not racist and I'm not sexist," Robinson said at the time. "I deeply regret my actions, and I am ashamed of making such remarks. I was thoughtless and irresponsible, and regardless of my state of mind at the time, my actions were inexcusable. Since that period, I have matured as a person and fully regret the tweets."
Robinson's words were followed swiftly by a strongly worded statement from the ECB's chief executive, Tom Harrison, which confirmed a disciplinary process and full investigation would be initiated. A statement from the ECB at the conclusion of the first Test said: "England and Sussex bowler Ollie Robinson has been suspended from all international cricket pending the outcome of a disciplinary investigation following historic tweets he posted in 2012 and 2013.
"He will not be available for selection for the second Test against New Zealand starting at Edgbaston on Thursday (June 10). Robinson will leave the England camp immediately and return to his county."
The fast-bowler will be allowed to play for Sussex during the investigation.
It remains to be seen what punishment will be meted out by the ECB at the conclusion of the investigation. Robinson could be fined or suspended for a number of matches. He is not in England's white-ball set-up so his next likely involvement with England would be in the Test series against India in August.
The incident could not have come at a worse time for the ECB as they try to make the game more accessible for people of all backgrounds. This focus comes in light of testimony over the past year from a number of figures within the game, including former England cricketers Ebony Rainford-Brent and Michael Carberry and ex-Yorkshire spinner Azeem Rafiq, about the discrimination they faced during their careers.
Before play on Wednesday, the England players, including Robinson, had stood in front of the Lord's pavilion during a 'moment of unity' wearing t-shirts with slogans including 'we stand together against racism' and 'we stand together against sexism'. A few hours later, Robinson's tweets had been made public.
"It's not acceptable within our game," Joe Root said at the end of the first Test. "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 from that point onwards. You can see it's very genuine from how he's been around the group and the team.
"And I think it's a great lesson for everyone within our game that we can all do more. We all have to keep looking to educate ourselves, trying to better the environment for everyone, trying to be as inclusive as we can, keep making everyone feel comfortable to play what a wonderful sport we have.
"It starts with us players at the top of the game. We set out the week with that moment of unity and we're doing a lot of work behind the cricket that we want to make big change in the game and we want to make it more inclusive, more diverse.
"By doing that, we're not saying that we're perfect. We've got to keep bettering ourselves as well, and hopefully by doing that it will filter through the game, it will filter through grassroots and through the county game. We've got to keep working hard with the PCA, ECB, all the painters to really try and make this game as good as we can for as many people as possible."
On the field, Robinson enjoyed an impressive debut. He picked up seven wickets across the two New Zealand innings and was the pick of England's bowlers. He also made a crucial 42 when England batted on day four to help them recover from the perilous position of 140 for 6.
But that really is besides the point. As good as Robinson has been, his performance has been totally overshadowed by the nature of his tweets. He now has to face up to the consequences.
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