Former England and Warwickshire captain Mike Smith dies aged 92
MJK Smith served as Warwickshire chairman between 1991 and 2003 and played 50 Tests for England
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Former England and Warwickshire captain Mike Smith has died at the age of 92.
Smith, known by his initials MJK, played 50 Tests for England, captain on 25 occasions, and was also a rugby union international as he earned one cap against Wales in 1956.
After a playing career that lasted almost two decades, yielding nearly 40,000 first-class runs, Smith went on to serve as Warwickshire chairman between 1991 and 2003 – a period during which the county won seven major trophies.
Warwickshire announced the news of his death on Monday morning, saying Smith “passed away peacefully at home surrounded by his family following a long illness”. A moment of silence was held before the start of play on day four of their County Championship match against Glamorgan.
Tracey Orr, chair of Warwickshire, said: “I was sorry to hear of the passing of MJK Smith this morning. He was not only a distinguished cricketer and respected captain for both Warwickshire and England, but also a true gentleman of the game whose grace, sportsmanship and contribution to cricket will long be remembered.
“His legacy lives on throug the generations he inspired, both on and off the field. My heartfelt condolences go to his family, friends and fellow Bears who will be deeply saddned by this news.”
Smith made his first-class debut for Leicestershire prior to two years of compulsory military service, and continued to represent his native county while studying at Oxford University.
He joined Warwickshire in 1956 and was appointed captain the following year – going on to lead the team 327 times.
Smith’s Test debut came in 1958 against New Zealand on home turf in Birmingham. Although initially selected as an opener, Smith began to flourish when moved to the middle order, making his first international century against India at Old Trafford in 1959.
His opportunity to captain the side came in the absence of Ted Dexter and Colin Cowdrey for a tour of India in 1963-64. In his 25 Tests as captain, Smith suffered defeat only three times with 17 draws and five victories.
Following retirement in 1975, he spent five years as a referee before becoming Warwickshire chairman in 1991 – overseeing a period which brought back-to-back county championship titles in 1994 and 1995.
His son Neil, known as NMK, followed in his footsteps to become Warwickshire captain and earning one-day international honours for England.