The former English batter Robin Smith died at his home in Australia at the age of 62. The batter who used to face some of the greatest fast-bowlers toe-to-toe during the 1980s and 90s era.
Smith played in 62 Tests between 1988 and 1996 and scored 4,236 runs at an average of 43.67 with 9 centuries, including three against West Indies.
Everyone at the England & Wales Cricket Board is deeply saddened to hear of the passing of Robin Smith.
An England and Hampshire legend.
Rest in peace, Judge ❤
— England Cricket (@englandcricket) December 2, 2025
What ECB chairman said on Robin Smith’s demise
“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. 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.
“His record at Hampshire is exemplary, and he’ll be remembered rightly as a great of Hampshire CCC. We’re desperately sad to learn of his passing, and the thoughts of all of us in cricket are with his friends, family and loved ones.”
Robin Smith’s early days
Born in South Africa in 1963, Smith was brought up to be a professional cricketer, and used to spend hours working on his technique in the bespoke cricket net that his father built at the family home in Durban, and in which Barry Richards and Mike Procter counted among his practice partners.