Australia legends slam Ollie Robinson after Usman Khawaja outburst in the Ashes
Australian legends pile on Ollie Robinson as Matthew Hayden labels bowler ‘NOBODY’ as Ricky Ponting labels him ‘slow learner’ in wake of x-rated Usman Khawaja outburst
- Ricky Ponting fires back at Ollie Robinson
- Ponting labels the England bowler a slow learner
- Aussie says England has more questions to answer
Australian greats Matthew Hayden and Ricky Ponting have lapped England’s Ollie Robinson after the sailor’s provocative display in the Ashes opener at Edgbaston.
Robinson was happy to offer some words to Australia on and off the field during England’s tense two-wicket defeat, offering an expletive-laden send-off to the centurion Usman Khawaja and then defending his conduct at a press conference where he asked: “If you can’t handle that, what can you handle?”.
The combative sailor took match figures of five for 98 in the first test and was not penalized by the match umpire, but his behavior seemed to baffle two men who were far from dwindling violets in their own playing time.
Hayden took aim at Robinson’s lack of speed and suggested Australia should try and knock him out of the attack.
He refused to use Robinson’s name in an appearance on SEN Radio, saying, “The other chap, he’s a forgettable cricketer.
Ricky Ponting (pictured) said Ollie Robinson’s comments about him were ‘water off a duck’s back’
Ollie Robinson singled out Ponting for his own sledging during the Ashes series when he defended the send-off he gave man-of-the-match Khawaja when he dismissed him in the first innings
Australian batsman Usman Khawaja had the last laugh at Ashes ‘bad guy’ Ollie Robinson as the first test at Edgbaston went down to the wire
‘(He’s) a fast bowler who bowls naked nuts at 78 mph and he’s got a mouth from the south. Someone like him, you can just say, “Brother, I’m coming for you.” Davey Warner can do that, right? He can just say, ‘You bowl 120′.’
Ponting, who was mentioned by Robinson as having sled across England in the past, also came in for the bait.
“If he sits back and thinks of me then it’s no wonder he bowled the way he did in that game, if he’s worried about what I did 15 years ago,” he told the ICC Review Podcast.
“This England cricket team has not played Australia and they will soon find out what playing Ashes cricket and playing against a good Australian cricket team is all about. If Ollie Robinson hasn’t learned that 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, you want to be able to back that up with your skills.”
Robinson will surely have a target on his back when the series resumes next week at Lord’s, but fellow sailor Stuart Broad is hesitant to pass the baton.
Broad has long been the favorite target of Australian fans, dating back to a curious incident in 2013 when he refused to walk after his perimeter was parried for slipping.
Replying to a Twitter post from Australian broadcaster Fox Sports calling Robinson ‘No.1 Villain’, Broad wrote: ‘I can’t have lost that tag yet can I?! Disappointing.’