Robin Smith, the square-cutting right-hander who faced down the fastest bowlers of the late 20th century, has died at his Perth home aged 62. News of his passing filtered through cricket’s close circles on Tuesday and was later confirmed by friends of the family.
Smith wore England colours in 62 Tests between 1988 and 1996, piling up 4,236 runs at 43.67. Nine Test hundreds, three of them against the then-fearsome West Indies, underlined a career built on courage and a fondness for anything short and wide. That front-foot square cut – bat face open, wrists firm – became a trademark, and more than once turned a hostile spell on its head.
His peak arrived on England’s 1990 tour of the Caribbean. On a lively Sabina Park surface he set up victory in the first Test with a punchy 75, an innings that convinced observers he truly belonged. Home summers brought further evidence: drawn series against West Indies in 1991 and again in 1995 saw Smith front-line against Curtly Ambrose, Courtney Walsh and Ian Bishop. Few flinched less.
Limited-overs cricket offered its own highlight. At Edgbaston in 1993 he carved an unbeaten 167 against Australia. No England batter bettered that one-day tally until Alex Hales went past it 23 years later.
Spin, though, lingered as the perceived gap in his armour. Shane Warne’s 1993 Ashes debut forced a rethink among England selectors and Smith was omitted from the 1994-95 return series. In a twist typical of the game’s small world, he and Warne became firm friends, the relationship helping lure the leg-spinner to Hampshire later on.
Born in Durban in 1963, Smith honed technique in a backyard net constructed by his father. Neighbourhood practice partners included Barry Richards and Mike Procter, hardly gentle company. Following older brother Chris, he moved to the UK in the early 1980s. County opportunity arrived at Hampshire – Richards’ old club – and international selection followed five years later. On debut at Headingley he added 112 with another South African import, Allan Lamb, before England succumbed to West Indian pace.
Smith’s final Test came in Cape Town in January 1996 during a tight, low-scoring series England lost 1-0. Incoming selector-coach Ray Illingworth opted to refresh the squad, and despite an average bettered only by David Gower and Graham Thorpe among contemporaries, Smith did not return.
Retirement proved uneven. He spoke openly of alcohol problems in his 2019 memoir The Judge: More Than Just a Game, acknowledging “dark corners” after cricket. Even so, he remained a visible and willing mentor. Last week he attended day one of the first Ashes Test in Perth, chatted with broadcasters and spent an afternoon at an England Lions session at Lilac Hill, invited by Andrew Flintoff.
Details around his passing remain private. Tributes, however, came quickly. Hampshire officials praised a “lion-hearted team-man”, while former England colleagues highlighted the bravery that set him apart. County and national flags are expected to fly at half-mast during next round’s fixtures.
Smith is survived by his two children. Funeral arrangements will be announced in due course. For now, the game reflects on a player who, bat raised and eyes set, took the fight to cricket’s quickest – and left an indelible, square-cut mark on English batting lore.
