England’s Ollie Robinson turns heel! Helps Australia captain Steve Smith prepare for Ashes 2025-26

Steve Smith will lead Australia in the first test of The Ashes 2025-26 in Perth.

England fast bowler Ollie Robinson unexpectedly joined Australia’s Ashes 2025-26 preparations as a net bowler rather than a rival. In the New South Wales nets at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) on Thursday, the 31-year-old seamer, who just signed a short-term contract with Sydney University, was seen bowling to rookie opener Sam Konstas and Australia’s stand-in captain Steve Smith.

On November 21, the Ashes 2025-26 will get underway in Perth, with Steve Smith leading Australia and Ben Stokes leading England.

On the other side of the nation, England have started preparing for the Ashes. After returning from New Zealand, where he spent time with family, captain Ben Stokes trained at Lilac Hill in Perth. He hasn’t played competitively since suffering a shoulder injury against India in July.

The remaining members of England’s 16-man squad are anticipated to arrive during the weekend, with half of them already in Perth. Next Thursday at Lilac Hill, they will play their only warm-up match, a three-day match against the England Lions.

Ollie Robinson bowling to Steve Smith at Sydney University ahead of Ashes 2025

Meanwhile, Australia have been getting unexpected help from England in their Ashes preparation as pacer Ollie Robinson was spotted bowling to Australia’s stand-in captain Steve Smith and Sam Konstas in New South Wales nets at the SCG, after joining Sydney University on a short-term deal.

The Sydney Morning Herald reports that Robinson bowled for about 45 minutes while Smith got ready to play Victoria in the Sheffield Shield. After the nets, Robinson had a lengthy conversation with NSW coach Greg Shipperd, and the two former Sussex colleagues were spotted conversing in between sessions.

Only a few weeks before the Ashes begins in Perth, Robinson’s visit to Sydney comes at a fascinating moment. He is still one of England’s most adept red-ball operators, having claimed 21 wickets in seven Ashes tests. However, since February 2024, he has been absent from the national team due to fitness concerns and inconsistency.

Robinson was left out of the England and England Lions squads this winter despite having a great County Championship season with 39 wickets at 24.74 for Sussex.

Rather, he decided to play Australian grade cricket for a while with Sydney University, where he will likely feature in a variety of forms in the upcoming weeks. Earlier this week, the team announced his signing, highlighting his background and experience.

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