England great Robin Smith dies in Perth aged 62

England great Robin Smith, the batter who shone for his country in a period when it was beaten regularly, has died suddenly at his home in Perth, aged 62.

Smith, known as "the Judge" because his curly hair resembled a wig, played 62 tests from 1988-96, scoring 4,236 runs at an average of 43.67 with nine centuries. His signature shot was the square cut.

Smith also played in 71 one-day internationals and was part of England’s squad that reached the 1992 World Cup final. His unbeaten 167 against Australia at Edgbaston in 1993 remained the England ODI record until 2016.

Smith’s family said in a statement via the England and Wales Cricket Board on Tuesday: "Robin died unexpectedly at his South Perth apartment on Monday 1st December. The cause of his death is at present unknown.

"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 family added Smith’s alcohol and mental health issues since retiring in 2004 "should not form the basis of speculation about the cause of death".

Robin Arnold Smith was born in Durban, South Africa, to British parents. He followed his older brother Chris, who also became an England Test and ODI player, to England as a teen and made his test debut in 1988 against the West Indies at Headingley, scoring 38 in a century stand against the pace attack of Malcolm Marshall, Curtly Ambrose, Winston Benjamin and Courtney Walsh.

His Test centuries featured two in the Ashes and three against the West Indies, including his highest score, 175 in St. John’s in 1994.

Smith relocated to Western Australia following his retirement, and last month attended the first Ashes Test in Perth.

He was also invited by coach Andrew Flintoff to address the England Lions squad at Lilac Hill, where they were playing a CA XI alongside the Test. 

"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 chair Richard Thompson said. "He did so in a way that gave England fans enormous pride and no shortage of entertainment."

Former England batter Kevin Pietersen joined a number of ex-cricketers in paying tribute to Smith.

"Heartbreaking to hear about the tragic loss of Robin Smith! Always have the fondest memories of The Judge! My heart goes out to his entire family and friendship group," Pietersen said on social media.

Former England captain and teammate Nasser Hussain told Sky Sports: "He had no fear in him at all when facing the quicks. He didn’t wear a grille or a visor — he just wore that helmet, diving and ducking out of the way, cutting. I’ve never seen many batters cut the ball better than Robin Smith. He took them (fast bowlers) on. England fans loved him."

Michael Atherton, another England captain and teammate of Smith’s, told Sky Sports: "As a cricketer, he gave the impression of an extremely strong and tough batter, which he was. But off the field he was quite shy, actually. But the life and soul of the party, a very, very popular teammate, someone who would do anything for you. Exceptional popular guy."

Smith played more than 300 first-class matches for Hampshire, which described the captain as a "fearless batter" and one of its "favourite sons."

"Robin Smith is one of the greatest, if not the greatest, of all time Hampshire cricket heroes," Hampshire group chairman Rod Bransgrove said.

"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."