Former England Cricketer Robin Smith Passes Away at 62
UK/England, 2 Dec 2025 (BNN Web Staff)
Former England batsman Robin Smith, one of the most fearless players of his generation, has died at the age of 62. His family confirmed on Monday that Smith passed away in his apartment in South Perth, Australia.
Nicknamed “Judge” for his ability to calmly face the fastest bowling attacks of the era, Smith played 62 Test matches and 71 One-Day Internationals for England between 1988 and 1996. He was a key member of the England side that reached the final of the 1992 World Cup, eventually losing to Pakistan.
Career Highlights
Test Cricket
- 62 Tests
- 4,236 runs at an average of 43.67
- 9 centuries (three against the fearsome West Indies pace attack)
- Highest score: 175 vs West Indies, Antigua, 1994
One-Day Internationals
- 71 ODIs
- 2,419 runs at 39.01
- Highest score: 167* vs Australia at Edgbaston, 1993 – a record for the highest individual score by an England batsman in ODIs that stood for 23 years until Alex Hales broke it with 171 in 2016
Smith also enjoyed a long and successful county career with Hampshire and represented Natal in South Africa before qualifying for England.
Tributes Pour In
The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) Chairman Richard Thompson paid a moving tribute: “Robin Smith was a player who took on some of the fastest bowlers in the world with a courage and aggression that made every England fan proud. He faced challenging, confrontational fast bowling in a way that inspired a generation.”
Hampshire Cricket Club, where Smith scored over 20,000 first-class runs, also released a heartfelt statement honouring one of their greatest-ever players.
Smith had openly struggled with mental health issues in the years following his retirement from all forms of cricket in 2004. He spent his later years in Australia.
The entire cricket world is in mourning at the loss of a brave, stylish and much-loved figure of 1990s English cricket.
Rest in peace, Judge.
