Ollie Robinson was recalled to the England squad on Wednesday for next month’s first two matches of a Test series against India following a Twitter racism row that overshadowed his debut. Jofra Archer continues to miss out as he is not fully fit. Meanwhile, Chris Woakes is out with a heel injury.
Opener Haseeb Hameed, who is playing for County Select XI against India in Durham currently, is back in the squad.
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Robinson received an eight-game ban, five of them deferred, for racist and sexist tweets he posted in 2012 and 2013 that came to light again during the 27-year-old’s Test bow against New Zealand at Lord’s in June.
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But a disciplinary hearing paved the way for the seamer to feature against India after deeming Robinson had already served a three-game ban, having been suspended from the second Test against New Zealand and then dropping out of two Twenty20 matches for county side Sussex.
Robinson performed well on his England debut, taking seven wickets — including a haul of 4-75 — and making a useful 42 in a drawn series opener at Lord’s.
But the Twitter storm meant he was suspended from international duty and missed an eight-wicket defeat in the second and final Test against New Zealand at Edgbaston, a reverse that saw England lose their first Test series at home in seven years.
But he is now back in the squad for the opening two matches of a five-Test campaign against India at Trent Bridge (starting on August 4) and Lord’s (August 12).
“We have selected Ollie Robinson after his seven-wicket Test debut against New Zealand," said head coach Chris Silverwood in an England and Wales Cricket Board statement.
“Ollie proved in that Test that he has the ability to replicate his outstanding form in the County Championship at international level and we will continue to work with him to develop his England career."
England squad: Joe Root (c), James Anderson, Jonny Bairstow, Dom Bess, Stuart Broad, Rory Burns, Jos Buttler, Zak Crawley, Sam Curran, Haseeb Hameed, Dan Lawrence, Jack Leach, Ollie Pope, Ollie Robinson, Dom Sibley, Ben Stokes, Mark Wood
(AFP inputs)
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