‘Over the top’ to suspend Ollie Robinson over racist and sexist tweets, says culture secretary

Messages were ‘offensive and wrong’ but cricketer was teenaged when they were sent, says Oliver Dowden

Ollie Robinson has been dropped for England’s second Test against New Zealand this week (PA Wire)

A cabinet minister has called for Ollie Robinson to be reinstated in the England cricket squad, accusing the game’s authorities of going “over the top” by suspending him over decade-old tweets.

Robinson, 27, was dropped from international cricket pending an investigation into allegedly sexist and racist messages sent when he was a teenager.

Culture secretary Oliver Dowden today said that the pace bowler’s tweets were “offensive and wrong”.

But he added: “They are also a decade old and written by a teenager.

“The teenager is now a man and has rightly apologised. The ECB (England and Wales Cricket Board) has gone over the top by suspending him and should think again.”

Downing Street later said that prime minister Boris Johnson was “supportive” of Mr Dowden’s position.

The posts, from 2012 and 2013, were revealed while he was making his England debut during the drawn first Test against New Zealand at Lord’s.

He was dropped from the squad for the second Test, which begins on Thursday at Edgbaston.

In response to Mr Dowden’s comments, shadow culture secretary Jo Stevens said: “It is right that the ECB takes the action that they think is necessary and appropriate to tackle racism and other forms of discrimination in their sport.

“They should not be criticised for doing so by the secretary of state.”

Robinson’s tweets, posted when he was aged 18 and 19, came to light on Wednesday afternoon while he was on the field.

After play, he apologised, saying he was “embarrassed” and “ashamed”.

“I am sorry, and I have certainly learned my lesson today,” he said. “I want to make it clear that I’m not racist and I’m not sexist.”