Two years after being dropped from the Test side, Ollie Robinson has defended the England team management from accusations of poor communication by other axed players.
“There has to be a bit of realism, a bit of reality, that maybe you’re not good enough to play international cricket,” is Ollie Robinson’s assessment of whether there’s a rift between England’s selection policy and the county game.
“As much as there's a disconnect, I also feel like that's used by county cricketers as an excuse because they aren't in. You still have to score runs and take wickets to get in. I know from my point of view, I used it as an excuse for the first few years that I couldn't get in.
“The difference in level between county cricket and Test cricket is huge. There’s not many cricketers that we played against last year that would do well in Test cricket. It’s hard for people to get their head around that, it is hard for county cricketers to get their heads around that. But I can see the argument from both sides.”
Robinson is one of few bowlers on the county circuit who can make that assessment. After breaking through in Test cricket in 2021, he quickly rose to become one of the best pace bowlers in the world – peaking at No.4 in the ICC rankings. He was a key part of England’s early successes under Brendon McCullum and Ben Stokes, in particular in Pakistan in 2022, when he took nine wickets in their landmark series win.
However, after persistent questions over his fitness which first emerged during the 2021/22 Ashes, and resurfaced during England’s Test series in India in 2024, he was dropped, with murmurings of off-field discontent clouding the decision.
“Apparently I fell out with the England management, which I didn’t realise,” says Robinson. “That was obviously documented, but I still feel like if you take wickets, you still get selected. I don't think they're that closed off that they wouldn't have given me a call or said I was close.”
In response to whether he felt the reasons for being dropped were properly communicated, Robinson said: “No, I was just left out of the next series and told I had to go and rack up games of cricket and take wickets, and that was it really. There was nothing about the India series – that obviously came out in the press – that I was told personally. Obviously it came out in the press and wasn't told to me.
“I gave [Ben] Stokes a text before the Ashes, said ‘good luck, hope your boys tear it up’. But I haven't spoken to anyone since. I've probably not spoken to anyone for 18 months really.”
“I’d love to play under Ben Stokes again”
Robinson’s account of a lack of communication from England team management after being dropped follows criticism from other former players in the last week. However, his assessment of that messaging is more diplomatic.
“It’s nothing new,” he says. “I've grown up watching England environments and ex-England players talk about communication. Although Ben [Stokes] and Baz [Brendon McCullum] and Keysy [Rob Key] are getting the slander that they're getting now, it's nothing new. It happened when Cookie [Alastair Cook] was captain, and it happened when Nasser [Hussain] was captain. It's happened the whole time.
“There's so many people that want to play for England that when England are playing poorly, that opens up the conversations for more cricketers because they feel like they can do that job that some of the players aren't.
“I'd love to be back involved and winning series' for England,” he adds. “And playing under Ben [Stokes] again, I think he's one of the best captains I've played under, tactically, off the field, everything. And I'd not just love to play for England myself again, but I'd love to help that group win the Test series again and get to that place that we were in Pakistan when we won 3-0, and everyone was happy and everyone was loving English cricket again.”
“You have to earn the right to get that call”
There are some for whom Robinson’s non-selection is indicative of a closed clique with the England Test team. Robinson averages 22.92 in Test cricket and since he made his debut in the summer of 2021, no England bowler has taken more wickets at a lower average. While his returns in the County Championship for Sussex over the last two seasons have been good – he was their leading pacer during their promotion-winning campaign in 2024 and took 39 wickets at 24.74 in Division One last year – he admits he doesn’t yet feel as if he’s done enough to warrant a recall.
“As much as guys have come out and said that they've not heard from England, I still feel like you have to earn the right for that call as well,” he says. “And I definitely haven't done that over the last 18 months. I haven't taken enough wickets, haven't played enough games, and I’ve had too many niggles.
“I haven't really expected that call either. As much as obviously I want to play for England again, I do need to take wickets and rip up trees to receive that call."
In a bid to ‘earn that right’, Robinson spent two months in Australia this winter before returning home earlier than planned for hernia surgery. As well as playing grade cricket for Sydney University, he made headlines when he trained with New South Wales alongside several senior members of Australia’s Ashes squad.
“I went on the wrong day with Cummins and Steve Smith and everyone,” jokes Robinson. “It was actually good. I spoke to Starcy [Mitchell Starc] about the Kookaburra ball, and [Josh] Hazlewood about the way they bowl. I asked them about their training and how it differs to how we train here. Those three have played for so long without too many injuries, it was a good opportunity to learn from someone else and a different environment. The Aussies are so impressive in how they train and go about it physically, they just look a bit superior to us.”
“You’ve got to force the door open”
Ensuring he’s fit to play for the whole of the County Championship this year is Robinson’s prime focus, having been named captain of Sussex’s red-ball side over the winter. John Simpson, who’s led the side since 2024, will remain as club captain, while the on-field management will fall to Robinson.
“It felt like it was a good time to give a bit back to Sussex and lead these lads to hopefully some silverware,” says Robinson. “It’s a good challenge for me to try and play all 14 games, and I’m going to have to trust the other bowlers to take the wickets or bowl the overs that I’ve tried to bowl myself in the past.”
Equally, showing that he can maintain his fitness and intensity across the season will be a big tick next to his name should the opportunity for an England recall arise. After persistent injuries and fitness struggles led up to him being dropped ahead of the 2024 summer, he missed part of both subsequent domestic summers through injury.
“I definitely feel like I've learnt about myself a bit more, and I’m probably in a better place mentally and physically than I was at the end of my England career,” he says. “As I was saying, it’s a two-way street, and you say the door might have felt closed but you've got to force it open.”
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