The ongoing Ashes 2023 Test series between England and Australia continues to heat up. A war of words broke out in the first innings of the match when England fast bowler Ollie Robinson dismissed Australian opener Usman Khawaja. Robinson made a comment on Khawaj which did not go down well with the Australian team. Robinson appeared to have told Khawaja, “”F*** off, you f***ing prick”. When later asked to comment on the incident, Robinson refused to apologize to Khawaja. and reminded the press about Australia of old, who used to do the same to opponents under Ricky Ponting.
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“We’ve all seen Ricky Ponting, [and] Other Australians do the same to us,” Robinson said. “Just because the shoe is on the other foot doesn’t make it well received.”
Ponting remained tight-lipped on the matter but in an ICC podcast, he advised Robinson to focus on the game.
Ricky Ponting does not hold back in latest edition of ICC review
More _ https://t.co/chfpEMeKPH pic.twitter.com/VErFF34Du8– ICC (@ICC) 22 June 2023
Describing them as slow learners, Ponting said the current England team would soon learn what it means to play in the Ashes against a quality Australian cricket team.
Ponting said, “As I said after Ollie Robinson said, this England cricket team hasn’t played against Australia, and they will find out very quickly that playing Ashes cricket and playing against a good Australian cricket team What is.” , “And if Robinson hasn’t learned that since last week, he’s been a slow learner.”
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Ponting further said that if Robinson is thinking about him and his comments made 15 years ago, it is no wonder why he is bowling so badly in the Ashes.
Ponting’s teammates Matthew Hayden and Ian Healy have also joined in criticizing their behavior with Robinson and Khawaja. He called the England fast bowler a ‘forgettable cricketer’.
“That’s how you approach England. As soon as Pat Cummins started coming to Joe Root and hit a few sixes and then the other guy (Robinson), he’s a forgettable cricketer. A fast bowler who can hit 124 (km) per hour) and he’s got the southpaw,” Hayden said of Robinson.
Healy, a former Australian cricket wicketkeeper and batsman, also refused to recognize Robinson. It was his way of taking a dig at the England pacer. “Who, Ollie Robinson? Someone like him, you can just say, ‘Brother, I’m coming to you.’ Davey Warner can do that, all right.”