‘Thought I might never play for England again’ – Ollie Robinson

England pacer Ollie Robinson has admitted that he thought he may never play for England again after he was suspended from all forms of cricket for his historical derogatory tweets. Making his debut for England against New Zealand, Robinson delivered a fantastic on-field performance. However, some of his old derogatory tweets went viral on social media causing a massive outrage against the pacer. The England Cricket Board took a stern action and barred him from playing any form of cricket. However, the ban was soon revoked and Robinson was included in England’s squad for the India Tests.

“I definitely had doubts over my career. “There was a time when I was speaking with my lawyers and, we were looking at the fact I could be banned for a couple of years and never play for England again. In a couple of years, I’d have turned 30 and, someone else might have come in and taken my spot. So yes, I had doubts over my career. I thought I might never play for England again,” Robinson said in a press conference post the end of Day 3

Reflecting on his tweets, Robinson admitted he made a lot of mistakes when he was young but said that he has changed a lot over the last decade.

“But I’ve learned a lot. I have grown as a person in that time. I’ve tried to develop myself as a person in the last ten years. I am a father now, as well, and I have just tried to make myself the best person I can be. I hope people will be able to see that.”

The pacer has started his international career with a bang. Backing his seven-wicket haul in his debut Test, Robinson helped England claw back in the first Test against India with a five-wicket haul in the first inning. Meanwhile, the Virat Kohli-led side is in a commanding position, having taken a handy 95 run lead in the first inning. England are 25-0 in their second inning, still trailing by 70 runs.