Robin Smith, ex-England cricketer, dies aged 62 | Cricket News

South African-born English cricketer who played since the late 1980s, scoring over 4000 Test match runs.

Former batsman Robin Smith, who was a World Cup finalist with England in 1992, has died at the age of 62, his former club Hampshire said on Tuesday.

Born in South Africa to British parents, Smith played 62 Tests and 71 One Day Internationals for England, scoring 13 centuries.

Following his retirement he suffered from depression and alcohol addiction, telling British newspapers only last week about his personal struggles.

“It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of legendary batsman Robin Smith,” Hampshire posted on social media platform X.

Robin Smith established himself as a combative middle-order batsman known for his attacking ability against fast bowlers. His average in Tests was 43.67, the highest among all contemporary England players when he was dropped after a series in South Africa in 1995–96.

Smith’s former Hampshire teammate Kevan James tearfully told BBC Radio Solent, “It’s a sad day… At that time, in the 80s and 90s, he was the best batsman in England.”

“He was a super player, especially in that era of fast bowling when the West Indies had all these fast bowlers. He was one of the few England batsmen who stood up to them and basically got as good as he got.”

Smith was the brother of fellow England international Chris Smith, who played his last Test at Leeds in 1988, two years before Robin’s England debut.

Nicknamed “The Judge” due to his curly hair resembling a judge’s wig, Robin Smith scored 175 against the West Indies in Antigua in 1994, the same Test in which Brian Lara had scored a record-breaking 375.

Smith also scored 167 not out against Australia in 1993, which remained the highest score by an England player in an ODI until 2016, when Alex Hales scored 171 against Pakistan.

Richard Thompson, chairman of the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), said, “Robin Smith was a player who stood shoulder to shoulder with some of the fastest bowlers in the world, facing hostile fast bowling with an infectious smile and incredible resilience.”

“He did it in a way that made the England fans very proud and no less entertaining.”