Stuart Broad has admitted he was “surprised” by England’s decision to recall Ollie Robinson for the first Test against New Zealand at Lord’s on 4 June, with the 31-year-old seamer returning to the squad despite not playing a Test since the Ashes tour of 2023-24.
Robinson, who has 76 wickets in 20 Tests at an average of 22.92, was named in Brendon McCullum and Ben Stokes’ 14-man squad on Tuesday after a stop-start County Championship campaign with Sussex in which he has taken 14 wickets at 28.5. The Sussex bowler last appeared for England in Dharamsala in March 2024, where he conceded 100 runs in 21 wicketless overs before being dropped for the West Indies series that followed.
Broad, speaking on his For The Love Of Cricket podcast, said the selection caught him off guard given the depth of seam-bowling options available to England this summer. “I was surprised when I saw Ollie’s name,” the former England seamer said. “He’s a fine bowler on his day, but I thought the door had probably closed after India. There are a lot of bowlers ahead of him in the queue who have done the hard yards on the county circuit this season.”
Why Robinson, why now?
Robinson’s recall comes at a moment when England’s seam attack has been thinned by injury and form. Mark Wood remains on the long road back from elbow surgery, Olly Stone has missed Nottinghamshire’s last three matches with a hamstring strain, and Matthew Potts has gone wicketless in two of his last three Championship outings. Chris Woakes, 36, has been managed carefully through the early season, while Josh Tongue has only just returned to red-ball cricket after a stress fracture.
That has opened a door McCullum appears willing to push. The New Zealander has long admired Robinson’s ability to extract movement from English pitches and bowl long, controlling spells – skills that proved decisive in the 2-2 Ashes draw of 2023, when Robinson took 11 wickets at 31.6 before a back spasm ended his series at Headingley.
National selector Luke Wright defended the call on Monday, pointing to Robinson’s wicket tally in the second division of the Championship. “Ollie has bowled beautifully when fit,” Wright said. “He gives us a different shape to Chris and to Gus Atkinson – that fuller length, the seam presented at the batter. We think he earns his place.”
The fitness question that won’t go away
The shadow hanging over Robinson’s return is the one that has followed him throughout his international career – his physical conditioning. England’s medical staff stood him down from the 2022 tour of Pakistan citing back issues, and former captain Joe Root publicly questioned his fitness levels after the 2023-24 India tour. Robinson reported to pre-season at Hove this year having lost a stone, and Sussex head coach Paul Farbrace described him as “in the best shape I’ve seen him.”
Broad, however, urged caution about the workload Robinson can sustain across a five-Test summer that also includes a three-match series against India in July and August. “Test cricket is unforgiving,” Broad said. “You can’t ease your way back in. If he plays at Lord’s he’ll need to bowl 25 overs in an innings, day after day. That’s the question – not whether he’s good enough, but whether his body holds up.”
England have built in some insurance. The squad includes uncapped Surrey paceman Jamie Overton’s twin brother Craig, plus Atkinson and Woakes, meaning Robinson is not guaranteed to play even if selected in the XI.
What it means for the New Zealand series
The three-Test series, which moves from Lord’s to Trent Bridge and Headingley, will be the first time these sides have met in red-ball cricket since New Zealand’s 1-0 series win in February 2023, when Stokes’ team were beaten by one run in Wellington in one of the closest Tests in the format’s history.
England arrive ranked third in the World Test Championship table; New Zealand sit fifth. The Black Caps will be without Trent Boult, who continues to prioritise franchise cricket, and Tim Southee, who retired from Tests in December. Their attack will be led by Matt Henry, fresh from a 13-wicket haul against South Africa in March.
Broad’s parting observation cut to the heart of the selection debate. “If Ollie Robinson at his best is in this England team, they’re a better side. The question England have to answer is whether they can get him to his best in two weeks – or whether they’re picking him on memory.”
- First Test: Lord’s, 4-8 June
- Second Test: Trent Bridge, 12-16 June
- Third Test: Headingley, 20-24 June
- England squad: 14 players named, including Robinson’s recall
- Robinson’s Test record: 76 wickets in 20 Tests at 22.92
Sports journalist and editor at SportsPortal.net. Covers cricket, football, Formula 1, tennis, and basketball with a focus on how global sports connect with Pakistani audiences. Follows the PSL, Pakistan national cricket team, Premier League, and major international tournaments. Has reported on sports for digital audiences since 2021.
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