Australia great Ricky Ponting feels that England pacer Ollie Robinson has failed to make an impact in the ongoing Ashes series. Ponting criticised the seamer for being below par at Edgbaston and in the first two days of Lord's Test despite having a great skill set.
Robinson has picked eight wickets across three innings so far, but he hasn't had much success in challenging Australia's top order batters. The 29-year-old took the crucial wicket of Marnus Labuschagne in the first innings of the second Test, but the majority of his other victims were Australia's tail batters. This did not impress the former Australian captain at all, who said, “I don't think he's looked dangerous in the series at all".
“I mean, if you look at the wickets, he's got the tailenders out in each game. Yes he got Marnus (Labuschagne) in this innings here. But then he got (Nathan) Lyon and then he got (Josh) Hazlewood. So if he didn't get the 10 and 11 out, then he finishes his innings with one wicket at over four runs an over," Ponting said after Day 2 of the Lord's Test match.
The whole thing's been blown completely out of proportion: Ponting
The legendary batter continued by saying that there is no doubt over Robinson's skill, and that his off-field comments have been blown "completely out of proportion". The English cricketer was in the spotlight for his send-off to Aussies opener Usman Khawaja in the Ashes opener and for his following comments in the media.
“He’s a very skilful bowler, no doubt about that, and no one would've said a word about Ollie Robinson if he hadn't have sort of instigated this whole tit-for-tat that's been happening over the last couple of weeks. And to be honest, I think the whole thing's been blown completely out of proportion," said Ponting.
“It’s something that’s everyone’s enjoyed talking about, and some of the ex-players have enjoyed hopping in and having a bit of a crack, but at the end of the day he’s a skilled bowler and, as you say, his numbers so far in the series are actually okay," the 48-year-old concluded.
Here's how fans reacted to Ricky Ponting's comments on Ollie Robinson:
Aise tho Anderson bhi dangerous nahi laaga hai pitch flat hai baba samaj aata Ricky bhai ko
— Rohit (@rohit_0718) June 30, 2023
His record is good ,seems to do the job more often than not,looks like a ploy from aussie commentators to keep him silent.
— Noone (@UdtaS) June 30, 2023
Bas ek send off mein itna bol rhe, socho apni team jab do series Jeet kar aayi thi tab inki kaisi gaan jali hogi
— Vivek Ojha 🇮🇳 (@bhrashtvivek) June 30, 2023
Ollie Robinson lives in the mind of these ex Australian cricketers day and night
— Lil ducky (@Iagreewithyoub1) June 30, 2023
Typical Aussie banter, but Ollie Robinson deserves it.
— rombanallaver (@rombanallaver) June 30, 2023
Typical Aussie banter, but Ollie Robinson deserves it.
— rombanallaver (@rombanallaver) June 30, 2023
Now Australia is trying to bring down the confidence of robinson now
— shubham (@shubham48986070) June 30, 2023
Suddenly all the australian legends targeting ollie robbinson
— SANJAY DON (@SANJAYD12953249) June 30, 2023
Still he has good stats until now
I don't think anyone from England looked dangerous in the series at all 😜
— Sultan Khan (@MainHoonSultan7) June 30, 2023