Robin Smith, former England cricketer, dies aged 62

The former England cricketer Robin Smith has died at the age of 62 with his family and former county Hampshire saying they were devastated by his loss.

Smith played 62 Tests and 71 one-day internationals for England between 1988 and 1996 and was a resolute middle-order bulwark for the side during often difficult times for the team. He particularly excelled against pace, making his highest Test score of 175 against the fearsome West Indies attack at Antigua in 1994.

He made 4,236 Test runs overall at an average of 43.67, including nine centuries.

The Durban-born Smith, known as “The Judge” also captained Hampshire from 1998 to 2002, having helped them win the Benson & Hedges Cup in 1988 and 1992, and the NatWest Trophy in 1991.

In a statement, his family said: “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.

“Robin died unexpectedly at his South Perth apartment on Monday 1^st December. The cause of his death is at present unknown.

“Robin rose to fame as one of England’s most charismatic and popular players. A brave and dashing batsman, he excelled both for Hampshire and his adopted country collecting legions of admirers and friends along the way.”

His former Hampshire teammate Kevan James had tearfully spoken of Smiths death on Solent News on Tuesday morning. “It’s been horrible,” he said. “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.”

Hampshire cricket club sent its condolences to Smith’s family and friends, with chief executive Rod Bransgrove describing the player as “one of the greatest, if not the greatest, of all time Hampshire Cricket heroes.

He added: “He was a batsman of awesome power and control and amongst the most courageous players this club has ever seen - especially against bowling of real pace.

“But more than all of that, Robin embodied the spirit of Hampshire. He loved playing for his county. The Judge connected with everyone he came into contact with. He was one of the most popular players ever to play the game we all love, and he will be hugely missed by players, members, staff and supporters - not only in Hampshire, but throughout the country and beyond.”

Only two weeks ago, Smith met with the England Lions squad during their tour match at Lilac Hill in Perth following an invitation Andrew Flintoff, offering advice on international cricket and telling players stories of his own career for more than an hour.

In the past few days, he had also spoken to media, discussing his career and the issues with alcoholism and depression that had marked his life since retiring from cricket.

However, his family urged people not to second guess his cause of death. Their statement added: “Since his retirement from the game in 2004 his battles with alcohol and mental health have been well documented but these should not form the basis of speculation about the cause of death which will be determined at postmortem investigation.

“This is an immensely difficult period for us all whilst we try to come to terms with our bereavement, and we would therefore much appreciate consideration for our privacy by media and cricket followers alike.”

The ECB also paid tribute to Smith. “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” ECB chairman, Richard Thompson, said: 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.”