England and Wales Cricket Board may drop fast bowler Ollie Robinson in the second Test against New Zealand for the young cricketer’s racist and sexist tweets that dominated global media coverage on Thursday. After his old tweets, posted in 2012, surfaced, Robinson had to issue a public apology.
Reading from his already-prepared note, Robinson had said, “On the biggest day of my career so far, I am embarrassed by the racist and sexist tweets that I posted over eight years ago, which have today become public. I want to make it clear that I’m not racist and I’m not sexist.”
Robinson’s old tweets had surfaced on the day he emerged as the best bowler for England in his debut Test as he finished the first innings with four wickets. Former England captain Nasser Hussain said that the controversy had ‘ruined Ollie Robinson’s biggest day as a professional cricketer.’
“I always remember my debut fondly, I will always remember my first day. He will always remember this day for something he did as an 18-year-old and that is very sad,” the former England skipper told Sky Sports.
Meanwhile, the ECB has said that it was continuing to investigate the matter even as London’s The Telegraph newspaper reported that Robinson would be dropped in the second Test despite shining with the ball in his debut Test.
????"There is no room for racism, there is no room for online hate; it has ruined his biggest day as a professional cricketer."????@NasserCricket reacts to the news of historical, offensive tweets from Ollie Robinson in 2012 that spoilt his England Test debut.
— Sky Sports Cricket (@SkyCricket) June 2, 2021
Batting coach Graham Thorpe said that the board should make more effort in future in assessing a player’s social media history before their selection for the national team. “That’s something that might need to be looked at so days like yesterday don’t happen,” he added.
England finished day two at 111-2 after bowling New Zealand out for 378. Debutant Devon Conway was out after scoring his maiden double ton at the Lord’s. He surpassed the highest score made by former India skipper Sourav Ganguly at the iconic cricket ground in 1996.