CricketBroad hits back at Ponting and Hayden for their comments about Robinson
The first test of the Ashes 2023 had an epic finish, as Australia won the match with just two wickets in hand. It was a flaming start to the series, not just in terms of both teams showing their cricketing skills but also in terms of the intense rivalry between them. The rivalry led to a brawl between England’s bowler Ollie Robinson and Australia’s opener Usman Khawaja during the first test, where they both came face-to-face twice.
The English bowler was heavily criticized
After dismissing Khawaja in the first inning, Robinson cursed him, and Khawaja gave it back to Robinson in the second inning. This incident received considerable media attention, and the English bowler’s behavior was heavily criticized by many former Australian Cricketers and the Australian media as well. Robinson defended his behavior in a press conference and also his post-match comments on the incident, where he mentioned ex-Australia cricketer Ricky Ponting, who was also known for sledging his opponents.
Ponting was not impressed by Robinson mentioning his name, so on record, he told the England bowler to focus just on his bowling and not history. It seemed that the matter was over, but now England’s veteran fast bowler Stuart Broad wrote extensively about the incident in his Daily Mail column and criticized Ponting and Hayden for their statements on Robinson.
Broad’s Daily Mail column
Broad wrote, “To be honest, there has been more talk about the incident between Robinson and Khawaja than what happened on the field. Even ICC didn’t have any problems with Ollie’s reaction. I didn’t like Hayden’s derogatory comments about him. Robinson averaged 21 with the ball in test cricket and bowled at par with Glenn McGrath. Yes, there were some emotions on the field, but outside, we are obviously seeing Australians all the time in the pavilion corridors and having lunch in the same room. Abusive words are spoken in another way, and everyone is piling up. Where are we going with this?
On Robinson’s “Ponting remark,” Broad stated that Ricky Ponting was a big sledger in his time, but this was not the reason Robinson brought his name up. During the conference, Ponting was the most famous Ex-Australian cricketer Robinson would think of, so he mentioned his name. His intention was to take direct aim at Ponting. But the Australian media’s reaction to all this incident and all the hue and cry has really surprised the English dressing room.
