English cricket great reveals devastating struggle with alcohol
An English cricket great has revealed a devastating private battle which he says left him minutes away from of ending his life.
England cricket legend Robin Smith has revealed he came within minutes of ending his life after struggling with drinking.
The retired batter was a part of the England team that finished as runners-up at the 1992 Cricket World Cup.
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Smith, 62, played in all formats for England and featured in 62 Test matches before finishing his international career in 1996.
During his prime years, he was feared with the bat in hand and his powerful cutting ability.
But he has revealed that his mental health started to deteriorate towards the end of his England career when he was being edged out of the team.
This was despite still boasting an average of 45 in his last 13 Test matches.
He told the Daily Mail: “If I’m going to be really honest, yeah (it did deteriorate then).
“You know, just seeing guys – who I loved – coming through taking my place, John Crawley or Mark Ramprakash or Hicky (Graeme Hick).
“These guys were averaging 28, 29, 30.”
In a heartbreaking confession, Smith continued: “I speak a little bit now publicly about mental health, and I was very, very close twice, within minutes, of finishing my life.
“I wish I’d spoken to my friends. I didn’t want to burden them with my problems, but I should have reached out to them.
“Anyone who thinks they might be a burden on their friends, they’re absolutely not. You’ve just got to be open and be yourself.”
The snub started to take its toll on Smith as he started to regularly drink an entire bottle of vodka.
The binge drinking lasted over a decade and almost led to Smith’s death.
As a result, he ended up spending seven months in hospital in a battle with cirrhosis of the liver.
He said: “My brother Chris and son Harrison were called in by doctors and told I had a five per cent chance of walking out.
“So it’s amazing that I’m here talking to you.
“Drinking a bottle of vodka a day for 12 years obviously didn’t do the liver much good.
“But I went on a strict diet, and I’ve got to be really careful.”
Smith featured in three different Ashes series between 1989 and 1993 but never tasted victory.
This was not for lack of effort on his behalf as he totalled 1,074 runs at an average of 40.
He also notched memorable centuries at Old Trafford and Trent Bridge.
This article was originally published in The Sun and is reproduced here with permission
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