England’s Ollie Robinson has escaped punishment for his fiery send-off of Usman Khawaja in an emotionally charged first Test at Edgbaston.
Match referee Andy Pycroft opted not to fine the fast bowler for the controversial moment in which it’s believed he yelled “F— off, you f—— p—k” after dismissing the Australian batter.
The ICC did not comment on the referee’s decision when approached by the Sydney Morning Herald but the outlet’s sources indicated it was a “borderline case”.
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Under the governing body’s rules, a send-off can include “verbally abusing the dismissed batter” and incur a fine up to 50 per cent of a player’s match fee.
“It was felt to be an exaggerated celebration rather than a send-off,” a source told the Herald.
The moment received a mixed reception, with some condemning the remark given Khawaja had made a commendable 141. He was later named man of the match.
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While Robinson and his teammates celebrated the wicket, Joe Root gave the Australian opener a pat on the back for his efforts.
Post-match, Khawaja said he didn’t hear Robinson’s spray due to the noisy crowd.
“The other day, the crowd was so loud I had no idea,” Khawaja said.
“There was nothing much in it. Just a bit of friendly banter.
“This game was played in pretty good spirits for most of it.
“It’s not just about winning, it’s about how we win, which has changed a lot from past years I played cricket. I think the game was played in pretty good spirits.
“There wasn’t much in it. There’s no point in me talking about it.”
Ironically, it was Robinson who conceded the winning runs off Pat Cummins who made a stellar 44 not out in a 55-run partnership with fellow tail-ender Nathan Lyon.
While the controversial fast bowler went unpunished, teammate Moeen Ali was fined 25 per cent of his match fee for spraying a healing agent on his blistered finger.
Every player from England and Australia was fined 40 per cent of their match fee for slow over rates.
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