England vs New Zealand: Dom Bess deactivates Twitter after selection for second Test

The controversy surrounding the right-arm speedster Ollie Robinson has caused uneasiness and distress among the England players. Robinson made his maiden appearance for the English nation during the first Test of the two-match series between New Zealand and England.

Robinson’s debut has given him scars for life as his racist tweets from 2012 resurfaced on social media. When Ollie was 18 years old, he made some unacceptable remarks on Asians, Muslims, and Women. While nobody noticed the tweets back then, they have come to haunt the speedster now. 

The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has taken a tough call as they have suspended Robinson from all formats of international cricket. Meanwhile, it is now learned that the young off-spinner Dom Bess has deactivated his Twitter account. The development came just a few hours after Bess was included in England’s squad for the second Test match against Kiwis.

“Dom Bess has deactivated his Twitter account. I suspect if these odd people insist on trawling back through cricketer’s old posts, he won’t be the last to do so. Then fans miss out on the opportunity for direct interaction with players. Which I think is a loss,” renowned journalist Elizabeth Ammon tweeted.

Dom Bess has deactivated his Twitter account. I suspect if these odd people insist on trawling back through cricketer’s old posts, he won’t be the last to do so. Then fans miss out on the opportunity for direct interaction with players. Which I think is a loss.

— Elizabeth Ammon (@legsidelizzy) June 7, 2021

Dom Bess added as a cover in the England squad

The inclusion of Dom Bess in the England squad came as a surprise for many. England already has a spin option in the form of Jack Leach. The English side didn’t play the spinner in the first match as they decided to go with a full pace bowling attack. Opining on the inclusion of Bess, England coach Chris Silverwood said that he is added as a cover in case of injuries. 

“The reason we’ve added Dom is that any cover we may need has to be in here with us. If Jack was to feature, we would need back-up for him in terms of concussion replacements and things like that. If we are looking at playing a spinner and Jack were to get injured leading into the game, then we will need someone else there as well. It’s making sure we cover that,” said England coach Chris Silverwood.