Ollie Robinson suspended from international cricket over controversial tweets

England`s Ollie Robinson fields on the fifth day of the first Test cricket match between England and New Zealand at Lord`s Cricket Ground in London. Pic/AFP

England and Sussex bowler Ollie Robinson has been suspended from all international cricket pending the outcome of a disciplinary investigation following "historic" tweets he posted in 2012 and 2013, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) said on Sunday (local time).

Announcing his suspension, the ECB said he will not be available for selection for the second Test against New Zealand starting at Edgbaston on Thursday 10 June. Robinson will leave the England camp immediately and return to his county, the ECB said in a statement.

Earlier, England debutant Ollie Robinson has "unreservedly apologise" for the "racist and sexist" tweets he posted over eight years ago as a teenager. Robinson admitted that he is "ashamed" of making racist remarks as his tweets from 2012-2013 resurfaced on social media.

"On the biggest day of my career so far, I am embarrassed by the racist and sexist tweets that I posted over eight years ago, which have today become public. I want to make it clear that I'm not racist and I'm not sexist," the 27-year-old had said in a statement released by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB).

"I deeply regret my actions, and I am ashamed of making such remarks. I was thoughtless and irresponsible, and regardless of my state of mind at the time, my actions were inexcusable. Since that period, I have matured as a person and fully regret the tweets," he added.

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ECB chief executive officer Tom Harrison had earlier reiterated that the board has a "zero-tolerance" stance to any form of discrimination and said they will initiate a full investigation as part of their disciplinary process.

"I do not have the words to express how disappointed I am that an England Men's player has chosen to write tweets of this nature, however long ago that might have been," said Harrison.

"Any person reading those words, particularly a woman or person of colour, would take away an image of cricket and cricketers that is completely unacceptable. We are better than this. We have a zero-tolerance stance to any form of discrimination and there are rules in place that handle conduct of this nature. We will initiate a full investigation as part of our disciplinary process," he added.

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