Growing up we all have dreams. As we grow older many of those dreams are shattered.
At the age of 18 I was invited to trials with Hampshire County Cricket Club. I was both excited and nervous. There was nothing I wanted more than to play for Hampshire out of the five counties that bordered my home county of Wiltshire. Only three of these five were first class counties.
When I arrived at Northlands Road, the old ground in Southampton I was told that we were having some sort of game on the main square. When I went into bat I was clean bowled second ball by Steve “Piggy” Malone. My trusty Gray Nicholls had not made contact with the ball on either occasion.
Needless to say I was dejected as I made my way back to the changing rooms tucked behind the pavilion for the uncapped players. At that moment I felt as if my dreams had been destroyed. A friendly hand on the shoulder from another young player and the words, ‘don’t give up,” surprised me to say the least.
Those words came from a young Robin Smith who was nine months older than me and at the time was waiting to qualify to play for Hampshire and England. Of all those who played that day he stood out. Not only did he have perfect technique, but he had so much time; the mark of a great player in any sport.
Despite my initial failure with the bat I did better the second time around and coach Peter Sainsbury must have seen something in me as I was asked back.
Two years later Sainsbury told me what I think I already knew, that I was not going to make it. Meanwhile Robin Smith was now playing in the first team. We had practiced together in the nets and knew each other. To say we were friends would have been stretching it. As one Scottish international footballer told me years later “in sport you have many acquaintances but very few true friends.”
A week after being told that I had no future at Hampshire I was invited to play in a game at Portsmouth. When I arrived at the ground I was told that Robin was playing for the opposition.
I remember that day well. Robin came in number three. I bowled him an away-swinger pitching on middle and leg and he punched it through the onside to the boundary without a fielder moving. He had the ability, as many will remember, of playing a forward defensive shot and the power would see it fly to the boundary. So even with the shortest of backlifts he could hammer the ball to the boundary.
He then hit a caught and bowled chance at me, and I believe it was the only time I ever pulled my hands out of the way for fear of injury. Now you know why I never made it!
As it happened I had a good day and did capture his wicket, and a few more. After the game I remember him saying to me “I know I will see you around, maybe not at Hampshire but I will see you around.” As he said it I wondered if he was just saying it to lift my spirits.
I moved to Australia and we met up again when he was playing at South Perth in 1987.
In 1990/91 he returned to Australia as part of the England team. I was a guest sat in the Members Area at the WACA during the fifth Test. As the England players left the field of play Robin waved to someone in the crowd. It was less than five minutes later he came out and found me, and told me that he was waving to me.
When we caught up a few years back when he was writing his book The Judge about his harrowing times post cricket, I reminded him of this gesture and told him how much it meant to me. He asked me why ‘wouldn’t he do that after all we were friends?’ I had been there at the start with him. Once again he made me feel special. He was one of England’s finest batsmen of his generation and yet he still had time for someone who was never good enough to reach those heights.
This was typical of Robin, he was a kind sensitive and giving man. What amazed me was he remembered what he had said to me that day in Portsmouth without me even mentioning it.
He then said that he thought that I had played at a higher level than I did. My response was ‘no, but I would have given anything to have worn the Hampshire jumper just once.’ His response? You can have one of mine. That was so typical of him.
I thanked him, and told him that was very kind, but I would not have earned it.
With the news of his premature passing I have been replaying so many conversations with him and thought how fortunate I was to have been able to share that time with him. I know like many I wish I could have helped him through some of his dark times.
I have read numerous tributes to him in the past 24 hours. He was fearless. He had wonderful technique. This played a key part in why he was so good against quick bowling, because he kept his eye on the ball, and ducked or swayed out of the way. He talked about how today too many players do not watch the ball, and turn their heads away from it, it was something he could never understand.
He was only ever struck in the face twice by fast bowlers, Ian Bishop being one and the other being Courtney Walsh. He admitted that one of those deliveries was so quick he completely lost sight of it.
I know that he would be upset with those who have written that his downfall was that he could not play spin. This was something that really irked him. He scored a Test century against Sri Lanka on a turning pitch in Colombo. A Sri Lankan team that had one of the true great spin bowlers Muttiah Muralitharan, in their side.
Many have said over the years that this perceived inability to play spin was the result of how good he was against quick bowling. Whatever the reason it was due to this perceived weakness that the England selectors dropped him in 1996, and it was something I am not sure he ever got over; nor the manner in which it was done.
His problems post retirement have been well documented, especially by him in his own book. There was no doubt as many have said he was caught between a public image, and who he was as a private man. He also could not deny who he was deep down in his soul, which was a kind, generous, giving man who always gave up his time for others.
I experienced this first hand, having benefitted from his kindness over a long period of time.
It is funny, I only realised this in the past 24 hours, I never called him “Judge” in all the time i knew him, he was always Robin to me. I was extremely privileged to have shared moments with him, moments that I have treasured and for which he will always be remembered.
Robin thank you for your encouragement, your kind words and your friendship. You were an inspirational cricketer and a special man. You will be missed, but never forgotten.
