Former England cricketer Robin Smith dies at 62

Former England cricketer Robin Smith, who fought immoderate aggravated battles with pacers successful the 1980s and 90s, passed distant astatine his location successful Perth, Australia, connected Tuesday (December 2, 2025). He was 62.

Smith played 62 Tests betwixt 1988 and 1996 and made 4236 runs astatine 43.67 with 9 hundreds, but his interaction connected English cricket astatine that play was overmuch much profound than his numbers, fantabulous anyway.

The almighty right-hander was astatine his tenacious champion against the West Indies pacers similar Curtly Ambrose, Courtney Walsh, Malcolm Marshall and Patrick Patterson, erstwhile his teammate often sank into a excavation of struggle.

In possession of a withering quadrate cut, often deemed arsenic 1 of the fiercest strokes successful cricketing history, Smith was astatine his highest betwixt 1990 and 1995, playing a pb relation successful England drafting back-to-back Test bid against the West Indies.

England managed an identical 2-2 bid effect successful the 1990-91 distant circuit and past 4 years aboriginal astatine home.

England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) Chair Richard Thompson said: “Robin Smith was a subordinate who stood toed to toed with immoderate of the quickest bowlers successful the world, gathering spells of hostile accelerated bowling with a defiant grin and an unthinkable resilience. He did truthful successful a mode that gave England fans tremendous pride, and nary shortage of entertainment.

“He was a batter up of his clip which was typified successful that unforgettable unbeaten 167 from 163 balls successful an ODI against Australia astatine Edgbaston successful 1993.

“His grounds astatine Hampshire is exemplary, and he'll beryllium remembered rightly arsenic a large of Hampshire CCC. We're desperately bittersweet to larn of his passing, and the thoughts of each of america successful cricket are with his friends, household and loved ones.” However, Smith was calved successful Durban successful 1963 and aboriginal moved to Hampshire, England, nether the power of chap South Africans Barry Richards and Mike Procter.

He made his Test debut for England against the West Indies successful 1988 astatine Headingley, and formed a agelong relation with chap South African-origin cricketer Allan Lamb successful English middle-order.

But Smith’s Achilles Heel was his weakness against spin, which was connected afloat presumption during England’s disastrous circuit to India successful 1992, and the emergence of Shane Warne successful aboriginal 1990s made it each the much demanding for him.

Smith, fondly known arsenic 'Judge' for his hairstyle, was a adjacent person of precocious Australian rotation fable Warne and made him motion up with Hampshire successful the mid 90s.

Once past ECB seat Richard Illingworth wanted a caller harvest of cricketers to instrumentality implicit from the aged defender successful the precocious 90s, Smith did not acceptable into his thoughts.

After retiring from cricket, Smith moved to Australia but kept his interaction with English cricket adjacent amid warring acute alcoholism.