Tributes have been paid to Robin Smith, whose swashbuckling batting and fearlessness at the crease lit up English cricket in an era when it often languished in the doldrums, following his death at the age of 62.
Smith played 62 Tests for England between 1988 and 1996, averaging 43.67. But it was the sight of him taking the fight to the fastest pace bowlers of his generation that will live longest in the memory.
His highest Test score of 175, against West Indies in Antigua in 1994, came against a bowling attack led by Curtly Ambrose and Courtney Walsh, who took 924 Test wickets between them. Yet, in the same game that Brian Lara hit a Test record score of 375, the majestic Smith smashed 26 fours and three sixes.
His best year came in 1991, when he scored 675 runs at an average of 67.5 and hit a brilliant 148 against West Indies. One of his England teammates, Mark Ramprakash, told the Guardian that while Smith was a phenomenal batter, he was an even better person and teammate.
“There’s his cricket, the way he played as a batsman, which was to be hugely admired in an era of great fast bowlers,” Ramprakash said. “And then there’s the person, who was more admirable still.
“On my England debut in 1991 I was 21, and I’ll never forget how kind he was in welcoming me into the dressing room, the warmth of his personality. He was someone who enjoyed life.
“Life was not a rehearsal for him, he went out and lived it. He mixed freely with anybody and was very popular, very well liked.
“Then we come to his batting. His skill and bravery in facing fast bowling was second to none and elevated him to No 1 in the world in my eyes. That year, 1991, he played some fantastic innings against West Indies, who had at the time the best fast‑bowling attack in the world. He got a big century at Lord’s and another at the Oval, and the way he stood up to that attack was fabulous.
“I remember at Lord’s he came off having scored an unbeaten 148 on a tricky wicket, covered with bruises all over his body. But he just brushed it off, and accepted it was just part of playing fast bowling.”
Smith retired from first-class cricket with more than 26,000 first‑class runs to his name, including 61 hundreds, and moved to Perth in Australia. But he increasingly struggled with alcoholism and his mental health, and last year spent seven months in hospital with cirrhosis of the liver after more than a decade drinking a bottle of vodka a day.
Only two weeks ago, Smith met the England Lions squad during their tour match at Lilac Hill in Perth following an invitation from Andrew Flintoff, offering advice on international cricket and telling players stories of his own career for more than an hour. He also spoke to the media about his struggles since retiring from cricket. However, his family urged people not to second‑guess his cause of death.
In a statement, the 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 1 December. The cause of his death is at present unknown.
“Since his retirement from the game in 2004 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.”
Smith, who was known as “the Judge” because his thick wiry hairy resembled a judge’s wig, was also a stalwart in England’s one-day team, playing in 71 internationals including the 1992 World Cup final.
Richard Thompson, the England & Wales Cricket Board chair, said in a tribute that Smith was a “batter ahead of his time”.
Thompson said: “Robin Smith was a player who stood toe to toe with some of the quickest bowlers around, meeting spells of hostile fast bowling with a defiant smile and a ferocious shot. 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.”
There were also tributes from Hampshire, the county he helped to secure Benson & Hedges Cup victories in 1988 and 1992 and the NatWest Trophy in 1991.
“Robin embodied the spirit of Hampshire,” the club’s chief executive, Rod Bransgrove, said. “He loved playing for his county. The Judge connected with everyone he came into contact with. He was one of the most popular players ever to play the game we all love.”
That sentiment was echoed by a former teammate, Kevan James. “He was a super player, particularly of fast bowling in an era where the West Indies had all these fast bowlers,” James said. “He was one of the few England batters who stood up to them and basically gave as good as he got.”
