Ollie Robinson’s suspension ‘over the top’, says Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden

Prime Minister Boris Johnson has immediately backed suspended England cricket star Ollie Robinson.

Downing Street immediately revealed that Conservative chief agrees with minister Oliver Dowden that the England and Wales Cricket Board had ‘gone over the prime’ by suspending the bowler.

Mr Dowden joined a handful of Tory ministers and MPs who rallied towards the ECB’s resolution – which got here after racist and sexist tweets the newly-capped star posted practically a decade in the past had been unearthed. 

The tweets – posted when Robinson was an adolescent – had been dredged up from 2012 and 2013.

Robinson, who’s now 27 and has apologised for his actions, will miss Thursday’s second Test towards New Zealand at Edgbaston and will face additional punishment at the palms of the ECB.

Ia put up on Twitter, Mr Dowden immediately criticised the resolution to droop Robinson, saying: ‘Ollie Robinson’s tweets had been offensive and unsuitable. They are additionally a decade outdated and written by an adolescent.

‘The teenager is now a person and has rightly apologised. The ECB has gone over the prime by suspending him and may assume once more.’

And now Mr Johnson has waded into the debate by backing Mr Dowden, along with his official spokesperson immediately saying: ‘Yes. The Prime Minister is supportive of the feedback from Oliver Dowden that he made through a tweet this morning.

‘As Oliver Dowden set out, these were comments made more than a decade ago, written by someone as a teenager and for which they have rightly apologised.’

The row over Ollie Robinson’s suspension came as:

• Thousands of England supporters booed the national team for taking the knee ahead of their game against Romania on Sunday; 
• Actor Laurence Fox weighed into the debate by saying he hoped England would lose at the Euros for taking the knee; 
• Viewers blasted the BAFTA awards last night, saying they should be renamed the ‘Waftas’; 
• A campaign called ‘Save our Statues’ who want Edward Colston statue reinstalled on its plinth block-booked tickets to museum in a bid to stop people from visiting.

 

The ECB has suspended Robinson (pictured) from all international cricket while the body investigates

Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden (pictured right) this morning said the England and Wales Cricket Board has gone ‘over the top’ with the suspension. Meanwhile Conservative minister Zac Goldsmith (pictured left) shared his disapproval at the bowler’s suspension, saying it was ‘completely disproportionate and absurd’. 

Meanwhile, Mr Goldsmith, the Minister of State for Pacific and the Environment, said: ‘He sent stupid tweets as a teenager, and has apologised profusely. What is to gain in trying to ruin his career over this?’ 

He was joined in his criticism of the decision by fellow Tory, George Freeman.

The Mid-Norfolk MP said on Twitter: ‘Seriously? Posting inappropriate tweets when a teenager – for which he’s apologised – is now a disqualifying crime for taking part in cricket to your nation? Seriously??’

It got here as final evening the England cricket group introduced that they had suspended Robinson from all worldwide cricket over the tweets, posted between 2012 and 2013.

Robinson apologised final week, whereas captain Joe Root described his debutant quick bowler’s behaviour as ‘unacceptable’.

Robinson will miss Thursday’s second Test towards New Zealand at Edgbaston, with the potential for additional punishment as the ECB’s integrity division attempt to set up whether or not he had any type of county contract when he posted the messages on social media in 2012 and 2013.

If he did, his case shall be heard by the impartial Cricket Discipline Commission. If not, the ECB will take cost.

Either approach, he can nonetheless play for Sussex, with whom he has a separate employment contract.

The information got here lower than two hours after a drawn first Test at Lord’s, with Root admitting he ‘couldn’t consider it’ when he was instructed on Wednesday evening about the tweets.

‘Ollie’s realized a tough lesson,’ mentioned the England captain. 

‘It’s unacceptable what he’s carried out. He’s fronted as much as the dressing-room and the world, and proven regret, however we’ve obtained to maintain trying to study and educate as a lot as we are able to, and make the sport as numerous as doable. 

‘We’re not saying the group is ideal, however we’re at all times attempting to enhance.’

Asked what his response was when he was instructed about the tweets after the first day’s play, Root replied: ‘I couldn’t consider them, personally. I didn’t actually know the way to take it.

‘But I think the most important thing is that Ollie’s a part of the dressing-room and we needed to assist him. 

‘We needed to try to do the whole lot we might to offer him a chance to study and to know that he has to do higher.’

Meanwhile, Root defended his group’s strategy after his reverse quantity Kane Williamson boldly set them 273 in 75 to take a 1-0 result in Thursday’s second Test at Edgbaston. 

With opener Dom Sibley making an unbeaten 60 from 207 balls, England reached 170 for 3 earlier than palms had been shaken. 

‘It was a tricky wicket with a bit of up-and-down bounce, and we didn’t have the time we needed to go after that target,’ mentioned Root. ‘It was the conditions, because we have the talent in the dressing-room to get the runs. 

‘On the surface, it looked like quite a generous declaration, but having played on that wicket for the best part for days, we knew it wasn’t going to be simple.’

Root mentioned England finally settled for a present of self-discipline after a first-innings efficiency wherein ‘there were a lot of dismissals that weren’t adequate for Test cricket’. 

The 27-year-old was left ashamed after unearthing of historic racist and sexist tweets

Joe Root labelled the tweets ‘unacceptable’ and he mentioned he ‘could not consider it’ on Wednesday

Asked about England’s strategy, Williamson was diplomatic. ‘I suppose they were trying to get a feel for the surface,’ he mentioned. ‘If it wasn’t for that misplaced day, we’d have seen a improbable end to what was an excellent sport of cricket.’

It comes as England followers yesterday defied the needs of Gareth Southgate and as soon as once more booed their very own gamers kneeling earlier than kick off towards Romania.

Footballers have taken to kneeling earlier than each sport for the previous 12 months in a defiant message towards racism in all walks of life, following the demise of George Floyd in Minneapolis final May. 

However, the return of supporters to soccer grounds has seen the message opposed by some followers in the stands, and hundreds booed England stars Harry Kane, Jude Bellingham and Tyrone Mings after they kneeled earlier than Wednesday’s win over Austria at the Riverside Stadium.

Manager Southgate mentioned the group had been ‘collectively dissatisfied’ about the detrimental response in midweek, which was the first England match performed in entrance of followers since November 2019.

The Three Lions boss urged followers to respect the gamers’ stance, whereas the FA are understood to have thought of utilizing the public announcement system at Middlesbrough to induce followers to respect the gesture.  

‘We cannot management the response however we’re very clear on our stance, we’re completely with the gamers,’ he instructed ITV Sport earlier than kick off. 

‘We’re united with the employees and the taking part in group. We hope to unite individuals by means of that.’ 

Yet supporters nonetheless opted to voice their disapproval of gamers kneeling, with boos heard at the Riverside Stadium whereas quite a few followers tried to drown out the discontent with a spherical of applause for the gamers.

Two gamers from the visiting aspect selected to stay standing throughout the second earlier than kick off.   

Marcus Rashford, who captained England in Middlesbrough on Sunday night, mentioned of the booing: ‘It’s one thing we will not management. We’re going to proceed to do it.’ 

Reflecting on the most up-to-date episode of booing, ITV pundit Ian Wright stays adamant that these opposing kneeling can nonetheless be educated on the topic.

‘You give attention to the sport however you are still explaining it they usually’re nonetheless booing. You’ve obtained to nonetheless try to attain these individuals,’ he mentioned at half time. 

Meanwhile, Laurence Fox immediately mentioned he hoped England would lose in the first spherical of the Euros as he criticised footballers for taking the knee, as a Tory MP additionally introduced he would boycott nationwide video games over the anti-racism gesture. 

The one-time Mayor of London candidate slammed ‘millionaire woke infants protesting inequality on £200,000 per week’ after parts of the crowd jeered whereas gamers knelt earlier than a pleasant towards Romania on Sunday at Middlesbrough’s Riverside Stadium. 

England followers defied the needs of Gareth Southgate and booed their gamers kneeling earlier than kick off towards Romania on Sunday

Returning supporters have voiced their opposition to the message towards racism in society

Gareth Southgate urged followers to get behind the gamers forward of kick off in Middlesbrough

Meanwhile, Conservative MP for Ashfield and Eastwood Lee Anderson mentioned the FA had made a ‘large mistake’ in supporting taking the knee, claiming that Black Lives Matter ‘goals to undermine our lifestyle’.  

Fox – who’s finest identified for taking part in DS James Hathaway in Lewis – was left fuming at the act and shared his ideas along with his followers.

In a string of Tweets shared on Sunday evening, Fox mentioned: ‘I’m embarrassed to be British. I hope any group however ours wins in any future sporting endeavour.

Tory MP Lee Anderson mentioned he plans to boycott England over the FA backing taking the knee

‘Tell me a single factor to average my considering? Millionaire woke infants protesting inequality on 200 grand per week.

‘We deserve the whole lot that’s coming. Weak males. Weak.

‘My prayers are with Croatia, The Czech Republic and Scotland. Knock these woke English infants out.

‘My complete life I’ve wished England to win at soccer.

‘From a settee with glandular fever throughout Italia 90 and Salvatore Schillaci, to a visitors jam in west London in an overheating mini listening to England beat Holland 4-1 in 96. Tw*tter rant over.’ 

Labour politicians together with former shadow chancellor John McDonnell have referred to as followers booing the knee ‘racist’. 

But Tory MP Lee Anderson, 54, referred to as BLM – which popularised the gesture in the UK – a ‘Marxist organisation’. 

He instructed The Times: ‘The FA, Premier League and footballers now run the danger of turning into like the Labour Party and that’s having nothing in frequent with their conventional supporters. 

‘All types of racism are vile and must be stamped out, however this isn’t the approach. 

‘For the first time in my life I can’t be watching my beloved England group whereas they’re supporting a political motion whose core rules purpose is to undermine our lifestyle.’ 

Mr Anderson was supported by Jonathan Gullis, the Tory MP for Stoke-on-Trent North. Gullis, 31, mentioned BLM was ‘a Marxist organisation that desires to abolish the nuclear household and defund the police’.