Robinson made his Test debut against New Zealand at Lord’s in 2021. On the first day of that match, historic social media posts of a racist and sexist nature that he made eight years previously came to light. Robinson immediately apologised but was dropped for the next Test.
Nevertheless, he emerged as an apparent new-ball heir to James Anderson and Stuart Broad, England’s two most successful bowlers of all time.
His career has been dogged by injury problems. He missed all three Tests on the tour of West Indies in 2022 because of the back injury.
Despite claiming to have dedicated himself to fitness when he returned to the England team later that summer, Robinson left the England attack short against Australia in Leeds and India in Ranchi, where he also dropped a crucial catch.
Also on the tour of India, Robinson published a podcast made with his partner, the golf influencer Mia Baker. The contents irritated the England and Wales Cricket Board and it was eventually taken down.
England head coach Brendon McCullum, a New Zealander, is a well-known advocate of the All Blacks rugby team’s philosophies around team harmony, but Key maintained Robinson’s absence was only ever due to fitness rather than a clash of personalities.
“I don’t think Ollie has ever been a problem in our set-up,” said Key. “He’s not someone who’s disruptive. You just need to trust you know what you’re going to get. That’s pretty much what we said.”
Robinson lost his central contract at the end of 2024 and it looked like his England career might be over, or that he would at least need a change of management in order to earn a recall.
However, England were in contact with him at the beginning of the summer, when he was also made Sussex captain. He has led his county to three wins from five matches, taken 17 wickets and scored an impressive century against Surrey at The Oval.
“It’s been a great move from [Sussex coach] Paul Farbrace to make him captain, that has got the best out of him,” said Key.
“Ollie has started the summer really well. Even the other day he said: ‘What do I need to do?’ Well what he needs is to show he can maintain skill and speed throughout the game. That’s what we require and that’s what he’s done.
“Ultimately, it’s up to our set-up to get the best out of people. We don’t want people that all do whatever we say all of the time. You want good characters who have self-belief, which is what Ollie has, along with a huge amount of skill.”