2nd round! Ollie Robinson and Usman Khawaja exchange words during a tense break on the final day of the Ashes’ dramatic first test as England star Jimmy Anderson is forced to separate the couple
Ollie Robinson once again addressed words to Usman Khawaja in Edgbaston in what appeared to be a back and forth during the drinks break on day five of the first Ashes Test.
Robinson faced a lot of criticism from the Australian media and public over the weekend after his raucous celebrations at the Australian fly-half after dismissing him for 141 runs in the opening innings.
The bloated England bowler appeared to tell Khawaja to “F*** off, you f***ing p***k” after taking his wicket, a reaction that didn’t sit well with fans and pundits Down Under .
Robinson insisted the insult was tame given the history of sledges being sent back and forth between players from both nations over the years, while Khawaja himself was baffled by the incident.
However, with everything on the line ahead of a dramatic final day at Edgbaston, words were exchanged between Khawaja and Robinson over a drink on Tuesday afternoon, with both men keen to play a crucial role in the outcome of the Test d ‘opening.
Ollie Robinson and Usman Khawaja exchanged words on the final day in Edgbaston
The England bowler was slammed for an insult directed at the Australian earlier in the test
According to Sky Sports, Khawaja was heard saying: “What did you say mate?”
Robinson replied, “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Veteran bowler Jimmy Anderson, noticing the pair were going back and forth, stepped in to intervene.
The exchange didn’t look too hostile, with the English smiling and laughing as they walked away, while reports suggest Robinson patted the batter on the back as they returned to the wicket.
“I don’t care how it’s perceived,” Robinson said of the first incident. “It’s the Ashes, it’s professional sport. If you can’t handle this, what can you handle?
“When you’re in the heat of the moment and you have the passion for ashes, it can happen. We’ve all seen Ricky Ponting and other Australians do this to us, so just because the shoe is on the other foot, it’s not well received.
“For me, this is my first Ashes house and getting the big wicket back then was special to me. Getting that wicket for the team was huge. We all want that theater of play and I’m here to provide it.
But the pair seemed to work things out with tensions high on Tuesday afternoon
When asked if he expected to be reprimanded by the match referee, Robinson replied, “I’m not going to comment on that.”
Despite moans from their media, Australian wicketkeeper Alex Carey insisted his side had no problem with Robinson.
“Usman didn’t say anything,” he said. “It’s the ashes, sometimes it’s going to be quite exciting and hostile cricket. I didn’t see anything from up there. From our locker room, there were no comments.
