Ashes 2023: England can give Australia a 'good hiding,' says Ollie Robinson
Ollie Robinson
England fast bowler Ollie Robinson has begun the war of words ahead of the 2023 Ashes, saying his side can give Australia a "good hiding."
The much-awaited Ashes this year is scheduled to begin on June 16, with the first Test to be played at Edgbaston in Birmingham. The remaining four Tests like always will be played at Lord's Cricket Ground, Headingley, Leeds, Emirates Old Trafford, Manchester, and Kennington Oval, London.
Robinson was a part of the England side that lost 4-0 in the last Ashes Down Under. England then lost to West Indies but have since beaten New Zealand, South Africa and Pakistan in the Test series, and won 10 of their past 12 Test matches under their new Test coach Brendon McCullum and captain Ben Stokes.
While England are yet to announce their final squad for the Ashes, Robinson is certainly involved in their plans as he played in all five of England's Tests this winter, taking 15 wickets across their tours to Pakistan and New Zealand.
In a recent interview, Robinson claimed that England are well placed to win back the coveted trophy and the fast bowler also said that it was a "dream come true" to be part of the home Ashes.
"It doesn't get much better than that. It's a dream come true to be involved in a home Ashes. When we went to Australia, we weren't quite at our best. But with the team and the squad we've got at the moment, it's such an exciting time to play Australia at home. I really feel like we could get one over on them, and give them a good hiding," Robinson said on BBC Radio Sussex.
Robinson has had a fine start to his Test career, having picked up 66 wickets at 21.27 in 16 games since making his debut in 2021. During the 2021-22 Ashes, Robinson bagged 11 wickets at 25.54 but England lost all four Tests as Australia retained the urn.
However, since the appointment of McCullum as coach and Stokes as captain last year, England have gone with an aggressive approach, dubbed as 'BazBall', which has revolutionised red-ball cricket.
"Brendon McCullum and Stokesy have just changed the game for us (with) the confidence that they've given the players — the batters especially. I think the fans can see that (from) the way we're going out there and trying to put on a show, almost, trying to perform for people.
"There will come a point when other Test nations will have to try and play the way we play to compete. That can only be good for the fans and good to watch. The entertainment we're producing is like nothing we've seen in Test cricket before. I think teams will follow suit at some point. It just depends how long it takes for some to do that," said Robinson.
England recently defeated Bangladesh 2-1 in the One-Day International (ODI) series, but shockingly the newly-crowned world champions were white-washed 3-0 in T20Is. England's next series is in June, a one-off Test against Ireland at Lord's before the Ashes series.