"Back it up with your skills": Ricky Ponting on Ollie Robinson's send-off for Khawaja
Jun 22, 2023
London [UK], June 22 : Former Australia captain Ricky Ponting hit out at Ollie Robinson after his name was drawn into an Ashes sledging argument that ignited in the first Test at Edgbaston and offered some words of advice to the England pacer.
As per ICC, England seamer Robinson, when questioned about Usman Khawaja's send-off for 140 in the first innings, said, "We've all seen Ricky Ponting, other Aussies do the same to us. Just because the shoe is on the other foot, it's not received well."
Speaking on The ICC Review after the first Test, Ponting said Robinson might be better placed focusing on his own performance rather than looking back at Ashes history.
"As I said after Ollie Robinson said what he said, this England cricket team hasn't played against Australia and they'll find out pretty quickly what playing Ashes cricket and playing against a good Australian cricket team is all about," Ponting told The ICC Review podcast.
"And if Ollie Robinson hasn't learned that already after last week, then he's a slow learner. Some of the things he had to say - I mean he even brought my name into it, which I felt was a little bit unusual but for me it's water off a duck's back - if he is sitting back thinking about me, then no wonder he bowled like the way that he did in that game, if he's worried about what I did 15 years ago," he added.
"He'll learn pretty quickly that if you're going to talk to Australian cricketers in an Ashes series, then you want to be able to back it up with your skills," said the former Australia skipper.
Australia skipper Pat Cummins and Nathan Lyon's resilient effort at the crease defied top-class bowling to score a thrilling first Test match victory in the first match of the Ashes series against England.
Australia won by two wickets in a match that seemed evenly poised at various stages.
