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Ollie Robinson caused quite the stir when he gave Usman Khawaja an expletive-laden send-off during the 2023 Ashes.
Now the England paceman, once dubbed Australia’s “public enemy No.1”, is set for a stint in Sydney premier cricket this summer as he positions himself for an Ashes recall.
Robinson made headlines on England’s last Ashes tour four years ago when he rolled out some off-spinners at the Adelaide Oval, but the 31-year-old will be coming off the long run next month for powerhouse club Sydney University in the first-grade competition.
Robinson, who last played a Test in February 2024, against India, was offered to several Sydney clubs before choosing the Students. He will arrive later this week with his wife, influencer Mia Baker, after the pair married on October 10.
The right-armer is expected to take the field for Sydney University in a two-day match against Western Suburbs starting on November 8 at Sydney University Oval No.1.
His stay until at least Christmas will double as a working honeymoon and a chance to be near England’s Test squad, who open their Ashes campaign in Perth on November 21.
Usman Khawaja being sent off by Ollie Robinson.Credit: Getty
Robinson, who has also played for St George and Sydney, claimed 39 wickets at 24.74 for Sussex in the county championship this year.
Sydney premier cricket is considered the toughest non–first-class competition in the world, and Robinson could find himself a target for barbs from local players after his antics in the 2023 Ashes.
After dismissing Khawaja for 141 at Edgbaston, Robinson sprinted down the pitch yelling: “F--- off, you f---ing p---k.” Match referee Andy Pycroft took no action, while Robinson later defended his actions.
“I don’t really care how it is perceived, to be honest,” he said. “It’s the Ashes, it’s professional sport. If you can’t handle that, what can you handle?
Ollie Robinson exchanges words with Usman Khawaja during the 2023 Ashes seriesCredit: Getty
“We’ve all seen Ricky Ponting [and] other Aussies do the same to us. Just because the shoe is on the other foot, it’s not received well.”
Ponting was quick to fire back.
“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,” Ponting told the ICC Review Podcast in 2023.
“This England cricket team hasn’t played against Australia, and they’ll 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.”
Former Australian Test opener Matt Hayden was less than impressed by Robinson’s send-off.
“The other bloke, he’s a forgettable cricketer,” Hayden said. “He’s a fast bowler that is bowling 124km/h nude nuts, and he’s got a mouth from the south.”
Robinson made headlines last year for bowling the worst over in first-class history (43 runs conceded) during a county match for Sussex. However, from 20 Tests for England, Robinson boasts 76 wickets at the impressive average of 22.92
He follows a long line of Englishmen to play club cricket in Sydney. Kevin Pietersen turned out for Sydney University in 2002-03, on a deal reported to be $3000, after being recommended to the club by Australian spinner Stuart MacGill.
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Pietersen, who later went on to help England claim Ashes glory in 2005, plundered 765 runs that season at an average of 84 and a strike rate of more than 100. Future Australian Test batsman Ed Cowan and Pietersen both hit 19 sixes that season.
At the time, Greg Matthews predicted Pietersen would make 8000 Test runs. He retired with 8181 to his name.
Other England players to feature in Sydney grade cricket include Andrew Strauss (Sydney University and Mosman), Monty Panesar (Randwick-Petersham), Zak Crawley (Sydney), Ben Duckett (Parramatta) and Ollie Pope (Campbelltown-Camden).
Robinson has dropped out of favour with the England set-up amid concerns over his fitness, decline in pace and what former Test batter Mark Butcher described as a “breakdown in trust” with team management.
“I think there’s been a breakdown in trust between him and the management,” Butcher said on the Wisden Cricket Weekly podcast last year. “From what I’ve heard and what I think I know, the covenant of trust between those guys and the player has broken down almost irretrievably.”
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