🔗 Share this article Remembering England Batting Great, Who Has Died Aged 62. In the age before the explosive Twenty20 format, no one struck a cricket ball with more raw power than Robin Smith. Built like a boxer yet blessed with the agile movement inherited from his mother, a ballet dancer, his shots were unleashed – the square cut in particular – with such violence they could dent in perimeter fencing and deflated the hopes of the opposition. Smith has passed away after a lengthy battle with poor health, presented as a figure filled with stark contrasts. On the surface, he appeared the embodiment of fearless, attacking batsmanship, famed for epic duels against express pace. However, beneath this show of machismo existed a person plagued by self-doubt, a struggle he kept hidden while on the field that subsequently contributed to struggles against alcoholism and depression. Raw Courage Mixed with a Desire for Danger His bravery versus fast bowling was utterly authentic. The motivation, however, was a curious mix of pure grit and a confessed thrill-seeking nature. Many felt he wired differently, positively relishing the punishing challenge of standing up to thunderbolts, a situation requiring lightning reflexes and a willingness to suffer physical punishment. This trait was never better displayed in his famous innings of 148 not out playing for England against the West Indies at Lord's Cricket Ground in 1991. On a difficult pitch, against the rampant a pair of legendary pacemen, Smith not only survived but thrived, his eyes reportedly sparkling the physical duel of bouncers and boundaries. In retrospect, he said that it left him feeling “tingling”. A Notable Test Career Batting primarily as a middle-order batsman, Smith played for England over 62 Test matches plus 71 limited-overs games between 1988 and 1996. He amassed 4,236 Test runs at an average of 43.67, which contained nine centuries. In the one-day arena, he gathered almost two and a half thousand runs averaging nearing forty. A particularly brutal innings occurred in 1993 against Australia versus the old enemy, hammering a brutal 167 runs. The innings was so powerful that even the then personally congratulated the Prime Minister, John Major. Yet, in a cruel twist, England could not secure victory that contest. The 'Judge' and Lasting Contradictions Known widely as ‘Judge’ because of a youthful haircut that looked like a judge's wig, his batting average in Tests stands as commendable, particularly given he played for a frequently defeated England team. A common view is his international career was ended prematurely by the panel post a fractious series to South Africa during the mid-90s. In his own words, he existed as a dual personality: ‘the Judge’, the tough, confrontational competitor who loved a fight, and plain Robin, a sensitive, emotional man. The two identities fought for dominance. His fierce loyalty occasionally led to trouble. Most famously he intervened to protect teammate Malcolm Marshall from racist abuse in Leicester. After words failed, he punched the ringleader, a move resulting in a broken hand leading to six weeks of cricket. Life After Cricket Moving on from the game post-cricket proved exceptionally difficult. The adrenaline rush gave way to the ordinary pressures of running companies. Attempts at a travel company did not succeed. Coupled with a strained relationship and mounting debts, he fell victim to heavy drinking and profound despair. A move to Australia alongside his children was meant to be a reset but couldn't resolve his core problems. During his darkest hour, he considered ending his life, and was only saved from that decision by the support of family and a neighbour. He leaves behind his partner, Karin, his son and daughter, and brother Chris.
In the age before the explosive Twenty20 format, no one struck a cricket ball with more raw power than Robin Smith. Built like a boxer yet blessed with the agile movement inherited from his mother, a ballet dancer, his shots were unleashed – the square cut in particular – with such violence they could dent in perimeter fencing and deflated the hopes of the opposition. Smith has passed away after a lengthy battle with poor health, presented as a figure filled with stark contrasts. On the surface, he appeared the embodiment of fearless, attacking batsmanship, famed for epic duels against express pace. However, beneath this show of machismo existed a person plagued by self-doubt, a struggle he kept hidden while on the field that subsequently contributed to struggles against alcoholism and depression. Raw Courage Mixed with a Desire for Danger His bravery versus fast bowling was utterly authentic. The motivation, however, was a curious mix of pure grit and a confessed thrill-seeking nature. Many felt he wired differently, positively relishing the punishing challenge of standing up to thunderbolts, a situation requiring lightning reflexes and a willingness to suffer physical punishment. This trait was never better displayed in his famous innings of 148 not out playing for England against the West Indies at Lord's Cricket Ground in 1991. On a difficult pitch, against the rampant a pair of legendary pacemen, Smith not only survived but thrived, his eyes reportedly sparkling the physical duel of bouncers and boundaries. In retrospect, he said that it left him feeling “tingling”. A Notable Test Career Batting primarily as a middle-order batsman, Smith played for England over 62 Test matches plus 71 limited-overs games between 1988 and 1996. He amassed 4,236 Test runs at an average of 43.67, which contained nine centuries. In the one-day arena, he gathered almost two and a half thousand runs averaging nearing forty. A particularly brutal innings occurred in 1993 against Australia versus the old enemy, hammering a brutal 167 runs. The innings was so powerful that even the then personally congratulated the Prime Minister, John Major. Yet, in a cruel twist, England could not secure victory that contest. The 'Judge' and Lasting Contradictions Known widely as ‘Judge’ because of a youthful haircut that looked like a judge's wig, his batting average in Tests stands as commendable, particularly given he played for a frequently defeated England team. A common view is his international career was ended prematurely by the panel post a fractious series to South Africa during the mid-90s. In his own words, he existed as a dual personality: ‘the Judge’, the tough, confrontational competitor who loved a fight, and plain Robin, a sensitive, emotional man. The two identities fought for dominance. His fierce loyalty occasionally led to trouble. Most famously he intervened to protect teammate Malcolm Marshall from racist abuse in Leicester. After words failed, he punched the ringleader, a move resulting in a broken hand leading to six weeks of cricket. Life After Cricket Moving on from the game post-cricket proved exceptionally difficult. The adrenaline rush gave way to the ordinary pressures of running companies. Attempts at a travel company did not succeed. Coupled with a strained relationship and mounting debts, he fell victim to heavy drinking and profound despair. A move to Australia alongside his children was meant to be a reset but couldn't resolve his core problems. During his darkest hour, he considered ending his life, and was only saved from that decision by the support of family and a neighbour. He leaves behind his partner, Karin, his son and daughter, and brother Chris.