Robin Smith, England Cricket hero, dies unexpectedly at 62

Robin Smith, the fearless former England batsman widely known as “The Judge” has died at age 62.

His demise is confirmed by his family who revealed that he passed away in his apartment in Perth, Australia, on Monday, December 1.

As of now, the cause of his death is unknown.

Smith was born in Durban, South Africa. He played 62 tests and 71 one-day internationals for England Cricket team between 1988 and 1996, amassing over 4,000 test runs giving an average of 43.67.

He delivered one of the courageous batting against fast bowling, most notably scoring 175 against the formidable West Indies attack in 1994.

Smith spent almost 20 years at Hampshire captaining the county from 1998-2002 where he assisted them win several domestic trophies.

The club regarded him as “one of the greatest of all time Hampshire Cricket Heroes.”

Recently, Smith opened up about his struggle with alcoholism and depression. While his family acknowledged his struggle, they requested media not to attach these reasons with the cause of his death and to wait till a postmortem investigation.

Former teammate Kevan James paid an emotional tribute to the deceased calling him "best batter" of his era. 

Smith is survived by his two children and brother.