Aussies hit back at Ollie outburst

FORMER Australian Test duo Matthew Hayden and Ricky Ponting have rounded on England’s Ollie Robinson after his provocative display in the Ashes opener at Edgbaston.

- RORY DOLLARD

The seamer was happy to offer the Aussies some verbals on and off the pitch during England’s tense two-wicket defeat, giving centurion Usman Khawaja an expletive-laden send-off and then defending his behaviour in a press conference where he asked: “If you can’t handle that, what can you handle?”.

The seamer took match figures of five for 98 and was not sanctioned by the match referee, but his conduct appeared to rile two men who were far from shrinking violets in their own playing days.

Hayden took aim at Robinson’s lack of express pace and suggested Australia should be looking to hammer him out of the attack.

Declining to use Robinson’s name in an appearance on SEN Radio, he said: “The other bloke, he’s a forgettable cricketer.