Ollie Robinson

At 6ft 5in, Robinson is the sort of fast bowler England have traditionally prized: tall, relentlessly accurate, and capable of extracting awkward bounce and seam movement. Often likened to Glenn McGrath and Josh Hazlewood, two bowlers he admires, he has built his success around immaculate control, a probing wobble seam, and the ability to move the ball both ways.

His reliability first flourished at Sussex, where Robinson rebuilt his game and reputation after being released by Yorkshire in 2014 for lack of punctuality and commitment. Ironically, his transformation came under coach Jason Gillespie, who had been responsible for his dismissal from Yorkshire. Robinson became Sussex's attack leader, taking 74 Championship wickets in 2018 and 63 in 2019, both at averages below 20, before starring for England Lions with seven wickets in a landmark victory over Australia A at the MCG in February 2020. His remarkable county form also included career-best figures of 9 for 78 against Glamorgan in 2021.

He could also contribute with the bat lower down the order, having scored a century on first-class debut in 2015.

Robinson made his Test debut in 2021, against New Zealand at Lord's, taking seven wickets in the draw, but that feat was overshadowed when racist and sexist tweets from his teenage years resurfaced, leading to a suspension and disciplinary action.

He returned a few months later with two five-wicket hauls and 21 wickets in the home series against India, quickly establishing himself as one of England's most effective Test seamers. Outstanding spells followed against South Africa at home in 2022 and Pakistan away the following season, where his ability to generate seam movement on unresponsive surfaces earned him the Player-of-the-Match award in Rawalpindi. A maiden Test fifty in India highlighted his all-round value.

Yet Robinson's international career has repeatedly been interrupted by fitness concerns. An inability to sustain long spells at full effectiveness - he bowled only 11.2 overs in the 2023 Headingley Ashes Test before being ruled out with back spasms - have restricted his opportunities despite an impressive Test bowling average.

He continued to spearhead Sussex's attack after England dropped him in 2024, taking 39 wickets in both their 2024 promotion campaign and their 2025 Division One season, and going on to become the club's captain. When he earned an England recall in 2026, he returned in dramatic fashion, bowling a first-over triple-wicket maiden against New Zealand at Lord's, but he missed the rest of the series due to fitness issues again.