Fit-again Ollie Robinson recalled by England for South Africa Tests

Ollie Robinson has returned to the England squad for the first two Tests against South Africa this month. His injury- and illness-disrupted period when he was affected by problems with his shoulder and back, a tooth infection, Covid and food poisoning is apparently at an end.

Sussex’s game against Nottinghamshire last week was his third first-class appearance of the summer and his first for more than two months, but having proved his fitness by taking nine wickets he immediately returns to the Test squad. He will play for the Lions against South Africa in a four-day match at Canterbury next week as he continues to hone his fitness.

Ben Stokes (Durham, capt), Jimmy Anderson (Lancashire), Jonny Bairstow (Yorkshire), Stuart Broad (Nottinghamshire), Harry Brook (Yorkshire), Zak Crawley (Kent), Ben Foakes (Surrey, wk), Jack Leach (Somerset), Alex Lees (Durham), Craig Overton (Somerset), Matthew Potts (Durham), Ollie Pope (Surrey), Ollie Robinson (Sussex), Joe Root (Yorkshire).

“I felt a bit rusty as I suppose after a few months it is going to be, but the ball came out OK,” Robinson said last week. “I’ve had a few conversations with the England coaches and said that I wanted to bowl as many overs as were needed by the team, with no restrictions, and they have allowed me to play this game to 100%.”

Mo Bobat, England’s men’s performance director, said the squad had been picked “with continuity in mind”. The team’s first summer under the captaincy of Ben Stokes and with Brendon McCullum as coach has brought four victories in four games with the side enthusiastically embracing a more attacking approach.

Robinson replaces Jamie Overton in a squad otherwise unchanged from that originally chosen to face India at Edgbaston last month.