Former England cricketer Robin Smith dies aged 62, teammate breaks into tears

Former England batter Robin Smith, one of the most recognisable figures in the country’s cricketing landscape through the late 1980s and 1990s, has died at the age of 62. His passing in Perth on Tuesday was confirmed by Kevan James, Smith’s former Hampshire colleague, during his programme on BBC Radio Solent, where he works as a sports presenter. James reflected on his former teammate’s career with deep emotion.

“It’s been horrible. It’s a sad day, but when you look at someone’s career… At the time, in the 80s and 90s, he was England’s best batter. He was a super player, particularly of fast bowling in an era where the West Indies had all these fast bowlers. He was one of the few England



batters who stood up to them and basically gave as good as he got,” James said.

Smith represented England in 68 Tests between 1988 and 1996, during which he accumulated 4236 runs at an average of 43.67. His record included 28 half-centuries, nine hundreds, and a highest score of 175. He also featured in 71 ODIs, scoring 2419 runs at 39.01, adding 15 fifties and four centuries to his limited-overs resume.

At the domestic level, Smith spent his entire first-class career with Hampshire. His service to the county produced 26,155 red-ball runs across 426 matches and included 61 hundreds. His List A career stretched to 443 appearances, yielding 14,927 runs at 41.12, along with 27 centuries.