Ollie Robinson

From being a controversial character in the county to become one of the best hailing talents in England, Ollie Robinson has been a story worth telling. Robinson is a 6' 5" tall pacer who operates at 80-85 mph, generates some excessive bounce, while it is his ability to swing that makes Robinson an act. 

Born in Margate, Robinson is a stepson of England's assistant coach, Paul Farbrace. He started playing for Kent at the U13 level, before playing the U15 and U17 levels, prior to getting called up by Kent’s second XI in 2013. However, just after one game from Kent’s second team, he moved to Yorkshire. The pacer became an integral death-bowler for Yorkshire, but it was his “unprofessional misdemeanours”, in Martyn Moxon’s words, that released the 20-year-old from the county.

The Kent-born then joined Sussex in 2015, where he was mentored by Jason Gillespie. In his maiden season for Sussex, he partnered in a historic 164-run stand with Matthew Hobden against Durham, while finishing the season with 46 wickets. Following that season, the club signed a two-year extension with Robinson. In the 2018 County Championship, he was the second-highest wicket-taker in Division Two, with 74 wickets at an average of 18.66. In 2020, Robinson followed his performances with 63 Championship wickets at 16.44. 

Soon, the Sussex star earned his maiden call-up for England’s senior side. Initially, he was kept as a reverse player for the Test series against West Indies, in 2020, but was drafted into the side for the second match. Later that season, he toured Sri Lanka and India with the English Test team to rub shoulders with some of the best players. 

In 2021, the former Hampshireman was named in the 15-men Test squad for the home series against New Zealand. But with the likes of James Anderson, Stuart Broad, Mark Wood; already in the crew, Robinson would be facing some stiff competition. 

(As of June 2021)