EXCLUSIVE
I want to be England’s wicket-keeper but my hero is Rob Cross and I’m worried about Luke Littler
As a cricketer born in England, the lifelong ambition is to represent your country, and for Durham's Ollie Robinson, it's the same.
The 25-year-old from Sidcup has found a new home in the north east of England, and he's thriving at the Riverside Ground.
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After scoring a whopping 931 runs in just 18 innings last season, Robinson is now in County Championship One with Durham, and the England Test team is in his sights.
Speaking exclusively to talkSPORT's Jack Cunningham, he revealed his ambitions.
He said: "That's why we play the game.
"As a kid, you want to play for England, and you want those higher honours, but everyone knows you have to do it at county level to earn the right to do that.
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"If it happens, it happens [playing for the Test team].
"But I am not going to put pressure on myself for that to be the be-all and end-all this year.
"There are probably going to be changes, but I don't know if that includes the wicket-keeping situation.
"But you just bide your time and wait to see what happens."
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England, under Brendon McCullum and Ben Stokes, play cricket very differently these days.
'Bazball' encourages players to be positive and proactive, which usually means the wicket-keeper has to be as well.
Ben Foakes was brilliant in India with the gloves and was handy with the bat.
However, he is a bit more of a traditional player in regards to his strike rate, which is why Jonny Bairstow has played as wicket-keeper in home Tests.
But Robinson will surely be in the conversation because he scores at nearly a run-a-ball.
And with England in his sights, he takes inspiration from his former Kent teammate Zak Crawley.
The current England opener endured a horrid start to his Test career but has turned it all around, which is a big motivation for Robinson.
"I grew up playing with Zak [Crawley].
"He was the best player during The Ashes and in India.
"He's a real driver for me to want to get to that level because he got backed and is now really reaping the rewards."
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However, despite having huge ambitions in cricket, it is individuals from another sport who really inspire Robinson.
"I love my darts," he revealed.
"The mindset of the lads to play at the top level, with precision, attention to detail, and ability to count [is impressive].
"People like Michael Smith or Rob Cross are my absolute heroes."
Certainly, darts is a sport that is on the rise, with the ridiculous teenage-sensation Luke Littler capturing the hearts of the nation during his run at the PDC World Championship over Christmas and New Year.
But Littler has shown signs during the Premier League that his new-found fame is getting to him, with a couple of outbursts, and Robinson is concerned about his future.
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"He's [Luke Littler] unbelievable, but it'll take its toll on him.
"They play a lot these days, so it will probably catch up with him, but they are so good at what they do, it's such a repetitive [routine]."
Hopefully, Littler finds a way to manage his new status as he matures and ages, while Robinson will keep watching darts and striving to play for England.
He's doing everything in his power, and with two home series coming up this summer, it would be great to see him get his chance.
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But if he doesn't, this Londoner is willing to be patient and continue performing for Durham.
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