The South African-born English cricketer, who played from the late 1980s to the 1990s, scored more than 4,000 Test runs.
Published December 2, 2025
Former batsman Robin Smith has died at the age of 62, his former club Hampshire have announced.
“It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of legendary hitter Robin Smith,” Hampshire posted on social media platform X on Tuesday.
Recommended stories
list of 4 itemsend of list
Smith was born in South Africa to British parents and played for England in 62 Tests and 71 One Day Internationals (ODIs), scoring 13 centuries.
Since retiring, he has struggled with depression and alcoholism, and only last week spoke of his personal struggles to a British newspaper.
Smith established himself as a combative middle-order batsman known for his ability to bat against fast bowlers. He averaged 43.67 in Tests, the highest of any modern England player at the time, bowing out after the 1995-96 series in South Africa.
“It’s a sad day… back then, in the 80s and 90s, he was England’s best batsman,” Smith’s former Hampshire team-mate Kevan James tearfully told BBC Radio Solent.
“He was a super player, a fast bowler especially at a time when West Indies had all the fast bowlers. He was one of the few England batsmen who stood up to them and basically gave it his all.”
Smith is the younger brother of fellow England international Chris Smith and played his last Test for Leeds two years before making his England debut at the same ground in 1988.
Nicknamed ‘The Judge’ because of his curly hair that resembled a judge’s wig, Smith scored 175 runs against the West Indies in Antigua in 1994, a Test in which Brian Lara scored a record-breaking 375 runs.
Smith also played an unbeaten innings of 167 against Australia in 1993, which was the highest innings record by an English player in ODIs until Alex Hales’ 171 innings against Pakistan in 2016.
Richard Thompson, chairman of the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), said: “Robin Smith was a player who went toe-to-toe with some of the fastest bowlers in the world, and who with a defiant smile and incredible resilience faced the curse of hostile fast bowling.”
“He gave England fans a lot of pride and plenty of entertainment.”
