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'He Just Sledged Probably The Nicest Man...,' Ponting On Robinson's Brutal Remarks On Khawaja

image-lj47agcgOllie Robinson sledged Usman Khawaja after he took his wicket . (Twitter)

Ricky Ponting has expressed surprise at Ollie Robinson's explanation for his offensive send-off to Usman Khawaja during the first Ashes Test. Robinson cited the sledging done by Ponting and other Australian cricketers against England as a justification for his actions. 

The incident occurred after Robinson dismissed Khawaja on 141 and used the words "f*****g p****k" in his send-off.

Robinson potentially violated the ICC's code of conduct section 2.3, which prohibits the use of offensive, obscene, or profane language that can be heard by spectators or the viewing public. 

Robinson later justified his actions by attributing them to the intense passion of the Ashes series. He explained that England has experienced sledges from Ponting and other Australian players in the past, which influenced his behaviour.

“We’ve all seen Ricky Ponting, other Aussies do the same to us. Just because the shoe is on the other foot, it’s not received well. I don’t really care how it’s perceived, to be honest. It’s the Ashes. It’s professional sport. If you can’t handle that, what can you handle?,” he said in the post-play press conference at the end of day three.

During the commentary, when asked about the incident, Ponting, who retired from cricket in 2012, expressed his surprise at being used as a defense or justification by Robinson for his behavior.

“I was sitting back having some pizza and watching the US Open golf and my phone lit up with what he had to say in his press conference,” Ponting said. “I was a little bit surprised just because it’s so long ago. If he had used one of the current players as an example then fine, but I haven’t played for 11 years and probably haven’t sledged an Englishman for about 15. He must have a long memory,” said Ponting.

Ponting acknowledged that he was not always a saint on the field during his playing days. He commented that Robinson's offensive outburst might have stemmed from frustration after a challenging day of play.

“The only thing I’d say with Ollie yesterday is Khawaja was 140, Robinson hasn’t looked like getting a wicket all day, and he’s just sledged probably the nicest man that’s ever walked on the planet," he further added.