• Home
  • Who Said What
  • Back It Up Or Look Silly Mcgrath Subtly Cautions Ollie Robinson On Sledging Without Performance

'Back it Up or Look Silly': McGrath Subtly Cautions Ollie Robinson on Sledging Without Performance

image-ljfdlgslRobinson was at his animated best in Edgbaston Test | AP Photo

Former Australian pacer, Glenn McGrath, has stated the importance of players backing their verbal confrontations on the field with brilliant performances. The Australian veteran specifically hinted at the recent incident involving England speedster, Ollie Robinson, who engaged in some fierce sledging against the Australian batter during the opening Ashes Test at Edgbaston.


Glenn McGrath's implicit message to Ollie Robinson on sledging's pitfalls

Robinson attracted considerable attention with his spirited send-off to Usman Khawaja after dismantling his stumps in the first innings. Additionally, he was involved in a minor sledging incident during the second innings, only to be halted by the intervention of his teammate James Anderson.

Notably, cricket stalwarts Ricky Ponting, Michael Clarke, Matthew Hayden and Justin Langer wasted no time in condemning the Sussex seamer for his profanity-laced send-offs.

In his column for BBC Sport, McGrath expressed his viewpoint, emphasizing the need for players to substantiate their verbal exchanges with on-field brilliance. The legendary bowler remarked that bowlers possess a distinct advantage, as they have numerous opportunities to secure wickets that vindicate their actions while batters face the risky task of being proven wrong with just a solitary delivery.

"You have to back it up. If you don't you can look silly. It's easier as a bowler, because you have plenty of opportunities to take the wicket that proves you right. If you're a batter, it takes one ball to prove you wrong," wrote McGrath.


Make-or-break for Crawley, Robinson: Glenn McGrath

While McGrath believes that the upcoming Test match at Lord's is a make-or-break moment for the English team, he finds it intriguing that both Zak Crawley and Ollie Robinson have been outspoken in the media leading up to the match.

Exhibiting no qualms about the proactive nature of Crawley and Robinson in expressing their thoughts through the media, McGrath cited his own playing days when he was known for confidently predicting the downfall of opposition batter or setting specific targets on them.

"England arrive at Lord's with more pressure on their shoulders. If they lose, I can't see a way that they get back into the series. From that point of view, it's interesting to see that Ollie Robinson and Zak Crawley have been vocal in the media. I have no problem with it, especially because I was always ready with a prediction or a target of an opposition batter during my playing days," added the legendary bowler.

It is pertinent to mention that ahead of the second Ashes Test at Lord’s which is set to commence on Wednesday, Crawley boldly predicted that England would beat Australia at Lord's by a margin of 150 runs.