Robin Smith: South African Born Cricket Legend Dies Unexpectedly at Age 62

• The cricket world has been thrown into mourning as English legend Robin Smith passed on at the age of 62 in Australia
• The former South African-born batsman reportedly struggled with alcohol and mental health since retiring from the sport in 2004
• The news about Smith's passing comes with loads of condolence messages from cricket lovers and others on social media

Robin Smith, the former England batsman, has passed away at the age of 62, according to an announcement from Hampshire, the English county team, on Tuesday, December 2, 2025.

Born in Durban, South Africa, Smith represented England in 62 Test matches from 1988 to 1996. His family confirmed that he died suddenly on Monday, December 1, 2025, in Australia, where he had been residing.

“The Judge,” as Smith was popularly called, had met the England Lions squad in Perth shortly before the first Ashes Test, following a request from coach Andrew Flintoff.

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Smith’s death came a month after that of former rugby referee Max Baise, who passed away at the age of 93, and a few months after the passing of cricket legend Harald 'Dickie' Bird, who also died at the age of 92.

Smith passed on at age 62

Hampshire Cricket released an official statement on their X handle to announce the death of Smith, with the cause of the tragic incident yet to be disclosed by his family.

"It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of legendary batter Robin Smith. Known as 'The Judge', Smith played over 600 times for Hampshire and scored over 30,000 runs for the club in a career that spanned more than 20 years. Our thoughts are with his family and friends at this difficult time," the cricket club’s statement read.

Smith’s family said that Robin had risen to fame as one of England’s most charismatic and popular players. They described him as a brave and stylish batsman who excelled for both Hampshire and his adopted country, earning many admirers and friends throughout his career.

The family added that, although his struggles with alcohol and mental health since his retirement in 2004 were well known, these should not be used to speculate about the cause of his death, which a post-mortem investigation will determine.

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Hampshire chairman Rod Bransgrove praised Robin Smith as arguably the finest cricketing icon the county has ever produced. He said Smith possessed remarkable strength and precision at the crease and stood out as one of the bravest players in the club’s history, particularly when confronting top-class pace attacks.

Richard Thompson, who is the chairman of the England and Wales Cricket Board, reflected that Robin Smith faced the world’s fastest bowlers with unwavering courage, often answering fierce spells with a confident grin and extraordinary toughness. He said Smith’s style of play inspired pride among England supporters and delivered countless moments of excitement. Thompson further remarked that Smith was a batter well ahead of his era, exemplified by his legendary unbeaten 167 off 163 deliveries in a 1993 ODI against Australia at Edgbaston.

South African cricket fans and others paid tribute to Smith on social media.

Hensie Flick wrote:

"Tragic news. One of my favourite England players of that era. Loved watching him take on the very best pace bowlers of the day. He was treated shoddily by Illingworth & Keith Fletcher later in his test career. #RIPRobinSmith."

Mark Davidson said:

"And once again, another person from the last couple of years dying long before their time - due to "unknown causes"."

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Iron River commented:

"I remember Robin Smith giving our WI fast bowlers as much as he got during that series. A very brave man and second only to C.G.Greenidge in essaying that lethal square cut. R.I.P. to the JUDGE!"

David Sanger shared:

"My favourite player when I grew up loving the game of cricket. Trying to dominate fast bowlers, I drew on his courage."

John Brunt added:

"He was fantastic for England. A big shock to hear the sad news today. I did get to see him play for Hampshire. A Sunday one-day game vs Middlesex at the last county game ever played in Portsmouth. RIP."

Rugby legend dies after cardiac arrest

Briefly News also reported that a rugby legend passed away at the age of 68, a few days after suffering cardiac arrest.

The rugby icon was unable to recover despite medical efforts to revive him after the cardiac arrest incident.

Proofreading by Roxanne Dos Ramos, copy editor at Briefly.co.za.

Source: Briefly News