The Ashe: Stuart Broad taunts Australian media over Ollie Robinson treatment amid Usman Khawaja saga

Stuart Broad has weighed in on the drama surrounding Ollie Robinson as the English veteran took to social media to poke fun at the Australian media.

There has been plenty of scrutiny on Robinson after he was heard calling Usman Khawaja a ‘f***ing p***k’ after dismissing him for 141 runs during the fiercely-contested first Ashes Test at Edgbaston.

Australia went on to win the series opener by two wickets, and Robinson has copped heat Down Under for his remark earlier in the game despite the Aussies’ history of brutal sledging over the years.

Fox Cricket tweeted: ‘Maybe Ollie Robinson should learn to let his bowling do the talking’ and later posted ‘has anyone checked to see if Ollie Robinson’s been able to get the egg off his face yet?’

Former Aussie Rules player Billy Brownless also told Robinson to ‘go and get f***ed’ before Broad responded to a tweet claiming the 29-year-old is Australia’s ‘No 1 villain’.

Robinson has copped heat Down Under for his x-rated slur at Usman Khawaja

‘No1 Villain?! I can’t have lost that tag already can I?! Disappointing’ Broad tweeted.

The veteran opener was previously public enemy No 1 in Australia after refusing to walk despite edging a Nathan Lyon delivery during the 2013 series in England. 

Following the incident, Brisbane-based newspaper The Courier Mail introduced a ‘Broad ban’ in which the bowler’s name was banned from its pages before the following series Down Under.

Broad went on to take a five-wicket haul in the opening day at the Gabba, and the publication still refused to print his name, labelling him the ‘Phantom Menace’ and a ‘medium-paced bowler’. 

That ban didn’t carry over to their website, however, with his name making the online headline. 

Responding to the outrage resulting from his interaction with Khawaja, Robinson said:  ‘I don’t really care how it’s perceived. It’s the Ashes, it’s professional sport. If you can’t handle that, what can you handle?

‘When you’re in the heat of the moment and have the passion of the Ashes, that can happen. We’ve all seen Ricky Ponting and other Aussies do that to us, so just because the shoe is on the other foot, it’s not received well.

Broad admitted he is disappointed to lose his status as No 1 Ashes villain in Australia

‘For me, it’s my first home Ashes and to get the big wicket at the time was special for me. To get that wicket for the team was massive. We all want that theatre of the game and I am here to provide it.’

Asked if he expected to be reprimanded by the match referee, Robinson replied: ‘I am not going to comment on that.’

ICC officials considered the incident a ‘borderline case’, according to the Sydney Morning Herald, with Robinson let off with a warning.