Former England cricketer Robin Smith has died at the age of 62, his family have announced.
Smith played 62 Test matches and 71 one-day internationals for England spanning 1988 to 1996. He was part of the team that finished as runners-up at the 1992 Cricket World Cup.
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A statement from the Smith family said: “It is with the deepest and most profound sense of sadness and loss that we must announce the passing of Robin Arnold Smith, beloved father of Harrison and Margaux and cherished brother of Christopher.
“Robin died unexpectedly at his South Perth apartment on Monday 1st December. The cause of his death is at present unknown.”
Born in Durban, South Africa, Smith moved to England to play for Hampshire in 1983 – retiring from cricket 17 years later, aged 40, with 18,984 county runs to his name and a reputation as a Hampshire great.
Hampshire chair Rod Bransgrove described Smith in a statement as “one of the greatest, if not the greatest, of all time Hampshire Cricket heroes”.
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Smith made his England debut five years after his move to Hampshire and went on to average 43.67 in Test cricket, hitting 28 fifties and nine centuries, with his top score of 175 coming in 1994 against West Indies and their feared pace attack of that era.
Affectionately nicknamed ‘The Judge’, Smith’s ODI top score of 167 not out, against Australia in 1993, stood as an England record for 23 years until Alex Hales scored 171 against Pakistan in 2016.
Famed for his powerful batting, particularly off the back foot, Smith’s fearsome cut shot was the thing of legend.
ECB chair Richard Thompson said: “Robin Smith was a player who stood toe to toe with some of the quickest bowlers in the world, meeting spells of hostile fast bowling with a defiant smile and an incredible resilience. He did so in a way that gave England fans enormous pride, and no shortage of entertainment.
“He was a batter ahead of his time which was typified in that unforgettable unbeaten 167 from 163 balls in an ODI against Australia at Edgbaston in 1993.
“We’re desperately sad to learn of his passing, and the thoughts of all of us in cricket are with his friends, family and loved ones.”
Just a fortnight ago, Smith met with the England Lions squad during their tour match at Lilac Hil in Perth following an invitation from coach Andrew Flintoff.
Since his retirement from cricket in 2004, Smith has struggled with his mental health and addiction to alcohol.
His family’s statement added: “His battles with alcohol and mental health have been well documented but these should not form the basis of speculation about the cause of death which will be determined at postmortem investigation.
“This is an immensely difficult period for us all whilst we try to come to terms with our bereavement, and we would therefore much appreciate consideration for our privacy by media and cricket followers alike.”
‘No fear in him’, ‘Exceptionally popular’ – Nasser and Athers on Smith
Sky Sports Cricket’s Nasser Hussain:
“An outstanding player of all types of bowling, but especially fast bowling.
“There was no better sight than watching Robin Smith take on an opposition fast bowler. He had no fear in him at all when facing the quicks.
“He’d be diving and ducking out of the way, swaying out of the way, cutting. I’ve not seen many batters cut the ball better than Robin Smith. He took them on and England fans loved him.
“But my greatest memory was Judge the person. He was just such a lovely man.
“When I first got on an England tour in the West, indies, in 1989, I was in a dressing room with the likes of [Allan] Lamb and Smith, all these legends I looked up to – and I got on so well with Robin.
“All of our thoughts at the moment are with his family.”
Sky Sports Cricket’s Michael Atherton:
“As a cricketer, he gave this impression of a extremely strong, tough batter, which he was, but off the field, he was quite shy, actually.
“He was a very, very popular team-mate, somebody who would do anything for you, an exceptionally popular guy.
“I have a number of memories. I remember the Test match at Old Trafford in 1995 when he got his cheek broken by Ian Bishop. He stayed waiting at the top of the stairs because we were trying to win, and he wouldn’t go to hospital until the game had been won.
“He was the kind of guy that would give everything for the team.
“A lovely guy, a wonderful player. It’s desperate news.”