Ollie Robinson: England bowler to take 'short break' from cricket

Ollie RobinsonPA Media

Ollie Robinson returned match figures of 7-101 and scored 42 in his only innings in the drawn first Test against New Zealand

By Stephan Shemilt
BBC Sport at Edgbaston

England bowler Ollie Robinson will miss Sussex's first two T20 Blast games as he takes a "short break" from cricket.

The 27-year-old seamer was suspended from international cricket on Sunday after racist and sexist tweets he posted in 2012 and 2013 were shared online.

He will miss Sussex's matches against Gloucestershire and Hampshire on Friday and Saturday respectively.

There is currently no indication when he will play again.

"After a difficult week, Ollie has decided to take a short break from the game to spend time with his young family," read a Sussex statement.

"We remain in close contact with Ollie from a welfare perspective and will issue further updates on his availability at the relevant times."

Tweets posted when Robinson was aged 18 and 19 came to light on the first day of England's drawn first Test against New Zealand at Lord's while he was on the field making his international debut.

He later apologised, saying he was "ashamed" and "embarrassed".

After the Test, he was suspended pending an investigation by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) and ruled out of the second Test, which began on Thursday.

Sussex said: "Ollie's tweets were completely unacceptable, and their content is totally at odds with our stated ambition to inspire people from every background in our county to say, 'I feel part of Sussex Cricket'.

"Ollie is a very different man from the one that wrote those tweets and has clearly learned much in the intervening years.

"As a result of his actions, Ollie has had the opportunity to represent his country suspended, is at the centre of intense public and media scrutiny and faces the possibility of further disciplinary action from the ECB.

"Sussex Cricket will not be adding to these significant penalties.

"The club will turn its attention to supporting Ollie in his commitment to continue to educate himself in the area of equality, diversity and inclusion."

Robinson is free to play for Sussex at any stage during his England suspension.

They are also due to play T20 Blast games next Tuesday, Thursday and Friday.

"When he is ready to return, Ollie will be welcomed back to the club, where discussions with the remainder of the squad over the last week have made clear that he retains the support of all his Sussex team-mates," said Sussex.

"Ollie has more to learn in this area. We all do. We all have a responsibility to improve and to make cricket a game for everybody."

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