England pacer Ollie Robinson has said he had doubts over his career and was worried how his international career might have ended after the 'old-tweets' fiasco. Earlier this year, Robinson was suspended from all international cricket by England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) pending the outcome of a disciplinary investigation following the resurfacing of the tweets he posted in 2012 and 2013.
"I definitely had doubts over my career. There was a time I was speaking with my lawyers and we were looking at the fact I could be banned for a couple of years. That would have taken me up to the age of 30 and someone else could have come in and taken my spot. So yes, I had doubts over my career. I thought I might never play for England again," said Robinson during a virtual press conference conducted at the end of Day 3 of the ongoing first Test against England.
"It was tough. Probably the toughest few weeks I've had in cricket to be honest, or in my life, actually. It affected not only myself but my family. But luckily it all came good today. I was a young, naive guy. I made a lot of mistakes. Not just those tweets. I had negative press when I got sacked from Yorkshire as well. But I have learned a lot. I have grown as a person in that time. I have tried to develop myself as a person in the last ten years. I am father now, as well, and I have just tried to make myself the best person I can be. I hope people will be able to see that," he added.
India was bowled out for 278 in the first innings after the last wicket added 33 runs. Ollie Robinson picked five, while James Anderson bagged four wickets. For India, KL Rahul and Ravindra Jadeja registered half-centuries and bowlers added some crucial runs as visitors took the lead of 95 runs in the first innings.
"It was friendly banter. I was trying to get them out of their bubble and play a few shots. They were batting well. But they were pretty defensive and I wanted KL Rahul to play some shots. It was all good fun out there," said Robinson.
"But it was important for me to show everyone that I am the real deal on the field and try to get the scrutiny off me. It was a proud moment for myself and my family; a moment I'll cherish for a long time," he added.
Rory Burns and Dominic Sibley scored 11* and 9* runs respectively before persistent rain forced play to be called off in Nottingham. England is still trailing by 70 runs in the second innings.
( With inputs from ANI )
Disclaimer: This post has been auto-published from an agency feed without any modifications to the text and has not been reviewed by an editor
