England captain Ben Stokes has admitted the death of former batter Robin Smith “hits harder” after the cricketing legend connected with the touring squad in Perth just days before his passing.
Smith, a powerful right-hander renowned for his prowess against fast bowling, who played 62 Tests and 71 ODIs for England, died this week at the age of 62.
The poignant timing stems from Smith’s recent visit as a guest at the first Ashes Test.
He also met members of the England Lions, at the invitation of their coach, Andrew Flintoff. During this encounter, Smith delivered a deeply emotive talk to the group at Lilac Hill cricket ground, with Test squad members Matthew Potts and Jacob Bethell among those present.
Speaking on the eve of the second Test in Brisbane, where England will wear black armbands in Smith’s honour, Stokes highlighted how the recent interaction deepened the impact of the news.
“Just last week he was there chatting with the Lions who were out here,” Stokes stated.
“He was at the game last week and talking to people and sharing, going into quite a lot of detail about his life and opening up quite a lot. It hits you a bit harder I think, when you realise that it was only a week ago where it was doing those kinds of things.”
Stokes, who confessed he “didn’t know him overly well,” shared the consistent tribute from those who did: “The same thing kept on coming up pretty much, which was just that he was an absolute belter of a bloke.”
England will be looking to bounce back in the second Ashes Test after losing by eight wickets inside two days in Perth.
The tourists have made one change for the day/night clash in Brisbane, with Will Jacks replacing Mark Wood.
