Ollie Robinson on unbelievable summer of test cricket and looking ahead to the Cricket World Cup

Ollie Robinson, speaking at a Sky Sports filming day ahead of the Solheim Cup, and the Ryder Cup, went on to talk about the summer of cricket behind us, and the Cricket World Cup ahead.

It has been an eventful summer for cricket – What is your ultimate feeling in the wake of an unbelievable summer of cricket?

Looking back, it has just been an amazing summer for cricket – I think to have such a tight Ashes series as the one we’ve had and for the cricket to be played the way it was played, was amazing for both us and the fans. Every test match went to the last day, every game there was something that happened that everyone was speaking about; it was just amazing to be a part of.

I’ve had people tell me that it was amazing to watch as well. I think it was just one of those series that we are going to speak about for a long time, and I think that’s pretty cool to have been a part of. Now we’ve got the World Cup coming up, so we’ve got some more cricket to look forward to!

If you had to pinpoint the best moment in a summer of so many cricketing highs, what would be the best individual thing that happened this summer?

Tricky for me because obviously the first two tests we lost and for the third test I got injured but we won, and we won it in such a good fashion with Woakesy and Woody getting the winning runs having just come back into the team – from a team point of view it was such an amazing day and evening to have been a part of, and the celebrations were wild in the Headingly changing room!

But for us as a close-knit team like we are now, to have those two to come back into the team after not playing for a few games and then get the winning runs was amazing, and we were all just overjoyed in the changing room. Obviously, I got injured in that game but for me, that was probably the best part of the summer and get that monkey off our backs and win a test match, get it to 2-1 and for those two guys – probably the nicest two guys in our whole squad – to do it.

I think that speaks volume of the England set up at the moment, that even whilst injured all you see is the team and see the beauty in that moment away from the individual?

Yeah, the environment at the moment is so good and so pure, and everyone wants everyone to do well, and I don’t think you see many teams in general in any sport have all 15 players wanting to do well, which is a great sign for us, and the longer we can keep that camaraderie together the better we are going to do.

Obviously, we go to India in January which will be a tough tour so obviously we’ll have to stay together as a unit over there. But as you said, it speaks volumes about the environment and how Baz and Ben have got us all together and all cheering each other on.

What were the funniest moments of this summer in cricket?

I think as a group, we’ve got some really funny characters. Harry Brook is probably one of the best players in the world right now, and he just comes out with these gold dust one liners, then you’ve got Woody who is just high on life and so funny to be around.

At the Headingly test match at lunch and we’re getting ready to go back out, Woody is in his whites and just gets on the floor and starts barking. He’s barking away and just shouting ‘There’s a dog in here! There’s a dog in here!’ and he’s gone to get the dressing room attendant, saying ‘Can we get this dog that has been barking’, and it’s just little things like that in a team dressing room that get everyone laughing.

Woody went in with Woakes to win the test match as you mentioned; what was he like whilst waiting to go into bat?

He’s the worst person waiting to go in to bat. He was shaking, he was pacing, he couldn’t watch. Everything you can imagine of someone that is nervous, everything you imagine of someone not to do as an international cricketer – he would do the opposite. He was pacing round, he was biting his nails, speaking a million miles an hour and a million words. He was an absolute mess! But for Woody, that just shows how much he really cares about the shirt and about England. I always bat behind him and it’s an absolute nightmare – he makes me nervous! It was obviously a tense dressing room, we had to win that game at 2-0 down and that was a massive turning point in that series for us.

England take on India after Ireland in the ODIs ahead of the World Cup. Will that be the perfect test taking on India where the World Cup will be?

It’s tricky because the ODI’s they’ve just played against New Zealand and then Ireland, they’re not going to be that similar to what they’re going to face. Conditions are going to be so different, but it’s always good to play cricket, and playing games is better than training, but when they get to India, I think they’re really going to have to put in some hard yards to get used to the conditions. It’s going to be very different to what they’ve experienced the last few weeks.

Looking at someone like Joe Root who has played a lot of test cricket, very used to the conditions and a great player of spin – is that what England are going to look towards?

Yeah, I think looking at Rooty with his class and experience you know he’s going to come good and score runs. In a World Cup, I don’t think there are many players you’d put above him to be in the team. He’s one of the best players of spin in the world, and in India you’ll see him come to fruition and do really well.

Harry Brook, at the other end of experience, is so destructive and like the young kid who goes out for the love of the game and would still play in his garden. He looks like he could equally be a difference maker?

Yeah, he can win games on his own. He has won test matches for us on his own, let alone ODI’s which are probably easier to win on your own. I think it’s great to see him in the squad, and he’s obviously had a small experience in India in the IPL, got 100 out there, and having that bit of experience is key when you go out there. He can change games, he’s just such a talented individual and a bit of a freak, just loves batting. All he wants to do is bat.

For England, he fits the balance perfectly right now, he can fit anywhere into the top 6. He can go in and whack it, he can go in and play sensibly, he’s a good player of spin. I think he’s got all assets and I think that’s exactly what England need.

I think he’s just got that sort of mind where he doesn’t think about anything else. He doesn’t think about how big a game is or the pressure that comes with it, he just thinks about batting, about that 16-year-old kid in the garden that just wants to play cricket and that’s the beauty of him at the moment; he’s got that no-fear attitude to cricket and just wants to score runs.

Best golfer in the England set up?

Zak Crawley. He’s playing off a handicap of 1, me and Jimmy are off 2, Broady, Stokesy and Baz McCullum are off 6. There’s a few decent golfers!

Who is winning the England team long drive?

Liam Livingstone – he actually played a Pro AM a few months ago and beat the pros in the long drive! He hit it 350 yards, it was huge. We played at Loch Lomond and there was a 330 yard par 4, he took 3wood and got a hole in 1! He just hits it so far.

Who is your favourite person to beat in the England team?

James Anderson – every day of the week. Just really gets to him, hates it. We play for shirts, whoever is on the losing team will buy you a shirt, and I love making Jimmy buy me the most expensive shirt in the pro shop!