Web Desk: A former England batsman, Robin Smith, has passed away at the aged of 62. This has left the cricket world in mourning.
Related to the death of Smith the family issued the statement, “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.”
The statement added, “Robin died unexpectedly at his South Perth apartment on Monday 1st December. The cause of his death is at present unknown,”.
Robin was one of the England’s most iconic and popular players and he rose to the pinnacle of success. He was also a captain of Hampshire from 1998 to 2002 earning him the nickname “The Judge”.
Through his guidance Hampshire was able to win the NatWest Trophy in 1991 and Benson & Hedges Cup in 1998 and 1992.
He was a very strong and reliable middle-order batsman, he played 71 one-day internationals and 62 test matches from 1988 to 1996. Robin was invincible against fast bowling and he once scored 175b against West Indies in 1994.
He scored 9 centuries and made 4236 test runs with an overall average of 43.67.
The cricket world has been paying heartfelt tributes since his untimely death.
His former Hampshire teammate, Kevan James said, “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 continued, “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.”
Richard Thompson The ECB chairman, also paid tribute, “Robin Smith was a player who stood toe to toe with some of the quickest bowlers in the world, meeting spells of hostile fast bowling with a defiant smile and an incredible resilience.”
According to Chairman Rod Bransgrove, “Robin Smith is one of the greatest, if not the greatest, of all time Hampshire cricket heroes.”
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