England paceman James Anderson on Tuesday (June 8) stated that the team has accepted younger Ollie Robinson’s apology for having written racist and sexist tweets a number of years in the past, even because the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has suspended the pacer and initiated a disciplinary investigation. Robinson, who took seven wickets on his Test debut in opposition to New Zealand, is unavailable for the second Test that begins at Edgbaston, Birmingham, on Thursday (June 10).
While talking to the British media, Anderson stated that Robinson apologised to the team and that it was accepted. The bowler was requested if some team members have been uncomfortable with Robinson’s apology, Anderson stated: “No, I think it`s been accepted.”
Anderson stated Robinson has matured since his collection of tweets of 2012 and 2013, filled with racists and sexist connotations, surfaced. “He stood up in front of the group and apologised and you could see how sincere he was and upset he was, and I think as a group we appreciate that he is a different person now. He’s done a lot of maturing and growing since then, and he`s got the full support of the team,” he stated.
Robinson’s tweets surfaced on Wednesday (June 8), the day he made his Test debut in opposition to New Zealand at Lord’s, London. Anderson stated that the English gamers are studying from the Robinson episode and making an attempt to get educated.
“Well yeah, I think it’s as you know it is a difficult time. I think as players we’re trying to learn from this really,” he stated.
“We realise that it’s important to try and get educated around these issues, which we’re continuing to do with the ECB and the PCA (Professional Cricketers’ Association) we’ve already been doing workshops before this series to try and help improve ourselves as people, basically to try and make sure that this sort of thing doesn’t happen.”
Anderson would grow to be England’s most-capped Test participant if he performs within the second Test in opposition to New Zealand. It could be his 162nd Test, leaving former batsman and captain Alastair Cook behind.
(with IANS inputs)
