Sam Robson: The Young Anglo-Australian

Sam Robson brought himself in to the limelight by scoring his maiden ton against Sri Lanka at Lord’s in just the second Test of his career. This 24 year old young man has put an impressive step on the international stage, but he is not English by birth. Rather Robson was born in Australia to an Australian Father Jim and an English mother Rosamunde and played his early cricket in Australia. In fact he has also represented the Australian U-19 side. His father Jim Robson has played some cricket both in England and Australia but he couldn’t make it to any first class team. He is currently working at the Sydney Cricket Ground.

Robson moved to England in 2008 after he failed to make it to the New South Wales side for whom he has played U-19 and U-17 cricket. He started playing for Middlesex County side in England and made his List A debut in the year 2008 and in the following year he made his First Class debut. To be eligible to play for Middlesex as a home player he had to file a letter in which he clearly stated his desire to play for England in the near future. He qualified to play for England as a resident in 2013. His younger brother Angus also plays first class cricket for Leicestershire.

He has scored close to five thousand runs in his first class career at an average of 41 with 215* being his best. He scored 1180 runs in the 2013 County season for Middlesex. He also scored 664 this season in only 9 matches.

Cricket Australia also mended rules which allowed the players of dual nationality to be considered as overseas players, had they not, Robson wouldn’t have been able to play in Sheffield Shield as playing for his home state would have lead him to be considered an overseas player at Middlesex which he couldn’t have afforded. He became the first man to score a first class hundred in the month of March in England.

Chris Rogers, his captain at Middlesex urged him to return to Australia and try his luck to get selected for the Australian team, but by then Robson had made his mind to continue playing in England. And finally he got his call for the home series against Sri Lanka. He did not do well in the first Test but scored a fantastic hundred in the second Test allowing his side to take a crucial lead over their opponents.

After Robson scored his century, his Father Jim who was present in the stadium along with the lad’s mother said that Sam was much more relaxed in his second Test than his first Test where he was all too much nervous.

Now it would be interesting to see how he performs in the Ashes if he makes it to the English side for one of the biggest rivalries on the planet. It would be an unexplainable feeling for him if he plays against his home side, but for now, his immediate focus would be to stamp his authority in the five match Test series against India.