Tributes have poured in for former England batter Robin Smith, who has died at the age of 62. Smith played 62 Tests for England between 1988 and 1996, averaging 43.67, and was renowned for his fearless batting against the fastest bowlers of his era.
His highest Test score of 175 came against a West Indies attack led by Curtly Ambrose and Courtney Walsh in Antigua in 1994. Smith's finest year was 1991, when he scored 675 runs at an average of 67.5, including a brilliant 148 against the same West Indies side at Lord's.
Former teammate Mark Ramprakash described Smith as a phenomenal batter and an even better person. 'On my England debut in 1991 I was 21, and I'll never forget how kind he was in welcoming me into the dressing room,' Ramprakash said. 'His skill and bravery in facing fast bowling was second to none.'
After retiring from first-class cricket with over 26,000 runs and 61 hundreds, Smith moved to Perth, Australia. He struggled with alcoholism and mental health, spending seven months in hospital last year with cirrhosis of the liver after drinking a bottle of vodka daily for more than a decade.
Smith's family announced his death on Monday 1 December at his South Perth apartment, urging against speculation about the cause. 'The cause of his death is at present unknown,' they said in a statement. 'His battles with alcohol and mental health should not form the basis of speculation about the cause of death.'
ECB chair Richard Thompson called Smith 'a batter ahead of his time', while Hampshire, where Smith won multiple trophies, hailed him as embodying the club's spirit.
