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Former England batsman Robin Smith, who scored more than 4,000 Test runs, has died at the age of 62.
Smith died unexpectedly at his home in Perth on Monday, his family announced. The cause of death is unknown.
Smith, known as “The Judge”, played 62 Tests and 71 One Day Internationals for England between 1988 and 1996, scoring nine Test centuries and averaging 43.67 in the longest format of the game.
One of his most memorable innings was a brilliant 175 against the famous pace attack of the West Indies in the Caribbean in 1994. This cemented Smith’s reputation as a master against fast bowling, with a cutting shot that baffled some of the best bowlers in the world.
He was also part of the England team that reached the 1992 Cricket World Cup final against Pakistan.
His family released a statement saying: “It is with the deepest feelings of grief and loss that we must announce the passing of Robin Arnold Smith, beloved father of Harrison and Margaux and beloved brother of Christopher.
“Robin became famous as one of England’s most charismatic and popular players. A brave and flamboyant batsman, he excelled for both Hampshire and his adopted country, gathering a great number of fans and friends along the way.”
Smith, who was born in South Africa, spent two decades there hampshire and captained the team for four years, and his former county teammate Kevan James discussed the news in a tearful interview on Solent News radio station on Tuesday.
“It’s horrible,” James said. “It is 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 batsmen in England who stood up to them and basically gave as good as he got.”
Smith endured mental health struggles after cricket and fought a long battle with alcohol addiction, described in his 2019 autobiography, Judge.
he opened in an interview with many times Last week he had said, “Cricket is like a family. You stay together most of the time. It is difficult to adjust to normal life after the bubble bursts. You miss the adrenaline rush, you continue the old lifestyle and live beyond your capacity. If you don’t know how to reinvent yourself, it can put you in a terrible situation.”
She added, “Show your feelings, talk about your problems. There are close friends who will listen to you and support you if they love you. That’s the first step to recovery and I don’t think a lot of people do that.”
His former England teammate Nasser Hussain paid tribute on Sky Sports. “Good memories. An excellent player of all types of bowling, but especially fast bowling. There was no better sight than seeing the judge – Robin Smith – facing the opposition fast bowlers. There was no fear in him at all when facing fast bowlers.
“But my biggest memory was of the man he judged. I had a very good relationship with him, he was a good man… All our thoughts go out to his family and everyone at Hampshire Cricket.”
Fellow cricket analyst Michael Atherton, who was England captain when Smith played, said: “As a cricketer he gave the impression of being an extremely strong, tough batsman, which he was. But off the field he was actually quite shy, but the life and soul of the party. A very, very popular teammate, someone who would do anything for you.”
Two weeks ago, England Lions head coach Andrew Flintoff invited Smith To speak to the team at Lilac Hill During his tour of Australia. Smith spoke to the players for over an hour and recounted some stories from his career.
richard thompsonThe ECB Chairman said, “Robin Smith was a player who stood up to some of the fastest bowlers and faced opposition fast bowling with an aggressive smile and ferocious shots. He did so in a way that made England fans very proud and provided no shortage of entertainment.”
“He was a batsman ahead of his time, which was illustrated by his unforgettable unbeaten 167 off 163 balls in an ODI against Australia at Edgbaston in 1993.
“His record at Hampshire is exemplary, and he will be remembered as a great Hampshire CCC player. We are extremely saddened to learn of his passing, and the thoughts of all of us in cricket are with his friends, family and loved ones.”