British Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s spokesperson on Monday (June 7) mentioned the PM is ‘supportive’ of the tradition secretary’s view that England and Wales Cricket Board ought to rethink the suspension of pacer Ollie Robinson for posting racist and sexist tweets again in 2012. Oliver Dowden, the UK authorities’s secretary for tradition, sports activities, digital and media, mentioned the ECB has gone ‘over the top’ in its punishment of Robinson.
Fast bowler Robinson was on Sunday (June 6) suspended from worldwide cricket pending an investigation into his tweets he posted as an adolescent years in the past. “Ollie Robinson’s tweets were offensive and wrong,” Dowden wrote on Twitter.
“They are also a decade old and written by a teenager. The teenager is now a man and has rightly apologised. The ECB has gone over the top by suspending him and should think again.”
Ollie Robinson’s tweets have been offensive and improper.
They are additionally a decade previous and written by an adolescent. The teenager is now a person and has rightly apologised. The ECB has gone excessive by suspending him and will suppose once more.
— Oliver Dowden (@OliverDowden) June 7, 2021
Later on Monday, Johnson’s official spokesperson mentioned: “The Prime Minister is supportive of the comments from Oliver Dowden that he made via tweet this morning. As Oliver Dowden set out, these were comments made more than a decade ago (sic) written by someone as a teenager, for which they’ve rightly apologised.”
Conservative Party politician Dowden has been a Member of Parliament (MP) for Hertsmere since 2015. The tweets resurfaced final Wednesday, the primary day of Robinson’s Test debut at Lord’s, towards New Zealand. In a high quality debut efficiency on the Mecca of Cricket, he had taken seven wickets in the match.
At the shut of first day’s play, the 27-year-old apologised and mentioned he was going via a tough interval in his life when he posted the racist tweets as an 18-year-old. “I want to make it clear that I’m not racist and I’m not sexist,” Robinson had mentioned.
“I deeply regret my actions, and I am ashamed of making such remarks. I was thoughtless and irresponsible, and regardless of my state of mind at the time, my actions were inexcusable. Since that period, I have matured as a person and fully regret the tweets.”
However, his apology was not sufficient because the ECB suspended him after the tip of the primary Test whereas initiating a disciplinary investigation. Robinson is not going to be obtainable for the second Test towards New Zealand, which begins at Edgbaston on Thursday.
An announcement from the ECB mentioned: “England and Sussex bowler Ollie Robinson has been suspended from all international cricket pending the outcome of a disciplinary investigation following historic tweets he posted in 2012 and 2013. He will not be available for selection for the second Test against New Zealand starting at Edgbaston on Thursday (June 10). Robinson will leave the England camp immediately and return to his county.”
The ECB has not reacted to Dowden’s remarks.
(with PTI inputs)
