England’s Ashes squad have been rocked by the shock death of former Test batsman Robin Smith just weeks after he addressed their Lions squad in Perth.
News of Smith’s death came only a week after Smith gave an interview claiming he had gone within minutes of losing his life after struggling with drinking.
Perth based Smith was a regular visitor to the commentary area during the first Ashes Test.
At one stage after retiring from cricket he drank a bottle of vodka a day for 12 years.
Only last month Smith was called in by Lions coach Andrew Flintoff to talk about his battles with mental health for which he had become an advocate.
The South African born 62-year-old played 62 Test matches before his international career finished in 1996.
A powerful enforcer with a withering cut shot, Smith revealed the stresses triggered by the decline of his Test career saw his life disintegrate.
“If I’m going to be really honest, yeah it did,’’ Smith said. “Just seeing guys – who I loved – like John Crawley, Mark Ramprakash or Graeme Hick (take my place). Those guys were averaging 28, 29, 30.
“I speak a little bit now publicly about mental health and I was very, very, close twice, within two minutes of taking my life.
“I wish I had spoken to my friends. I didn’t want to burden them with my problems. But I should have reached out to them.’’
The high point of Smith’s many duels with Australia was an against-the-flow 553 run at 61 series in 1989 in England when his team was being thrashed. He played in three Ashes series without tasting victory.
During his vodka addiction Smith spent seven months in hospital with a major liver complaint.
He said: “My brother Chris and son Harrison were called in by doctors and told I had a five per cent chance of walking out.
“So it’s amazing that I’m here talking to you.
“Drinking a bottle of vodka a day for 12 years obviously didn’t do the liver much good.’’
“But I went on a strict diet, and I’ve got to be really careful.”