Ollie Robinson believes England can give Australia “a good hiding” in this summer’s Ashes series, and his team-mates have produced a level of entertainment that “we’ve never seen before in Test cricket” over the past nine months have seen”.
Robinson played in all five of England’s Tests this winter, taking 15 wickets in his tours of Pakistan and New Zealand, and has since made a good start to his international career. Brendon McCullum And Ben Stokes took over as coach and captain respectively last year.
And three months before the first Ashes Test of the summer, at Edgbaston on 16 June, he may well have prompted the start of the phoney war that always dominates the build-up to the series, suggesting in an interview with BBC Radio Sussex given that England are in a good position to retrieve the urn.
“it is [the pinnacle] For me: it doesn’t get any better than this,” said Robinson. “Being involved in the domestic Ashes is a dream come true. when we went to australia [in 2021-22]We weren’t at our best.
“But it’s an exciting time to play Australia at home with the squad and squad we have at the moment. I really feel like we can get one over on them, and hide them well .
“Brendon McCullum and Stokes have changed the game for us [with] The confidence he has instilled in the players – especially the batsmen. I think fans can see it [from] The way we’re going out there and trying to put on a show, almost trying to perform for people.”
Robinson said he hoped England could change the way Test cricket is played around the world. “There will come a time when other Test nations will have to try to play to compete,” he said. “It can only be good for the fans to see more.
“The entertainment we’re producing is unlike anything we’ve seen in Test cricket before. I think teams will follow suit at some point. It just depends how long it takes to do so.”
The County Championship season begins in three weeks’ time, with Robinson’s side playing Durham in Hove on 6 April. He is centrally contracted so his workload will be closely monitored by the ECB, but intends to play “four or five” Championship matches. Ashes before the start of summer.
“Hopefully I can play well enough,” he said. “Last year, I had a month of not playing like that which set me back in the summer, so this year I’m going to try and play early, play as much as possible and just keep myself playing cricket. I feel like that’s when I’m at my best and that’s when my body is at its best.”