Ian Smith (New Zealand cricketer)


Ian David Stockley Smith is a New Zealand cricket commentator and former cricketer. He played as a wicket-keeper for New Zealand throughout the 1980s and part of the 1990s.

International career

Smith has one of the highest ever strike rates as a batsman for One Day Internationals – 99 runs per 100 balls faced. He also holds the record for the highest score in Tests for a batsman coming in at number nine, which is 173 off 136 balls, scored against India at Eden Park in 1990. During the innings, he became joint holder of the record for most runs scored off a six-ball Test over, striking 24 runs off Atul Wassan.

After cricket

After Smith retired from cricket, he worked in the banking industry before moving into broadcasting. He worked as a radio announcer on Radio Live SPORT as a breakfast host and is also a commentator for SKY Sport. As a cricket commentator he has also worked on television commentary at numerous ICC tournaments including the World Twenty20 and Cricket World Cup calling the crucial final ball as England beat New Zealand in the final at Lords. He has also appeared as a guest commentator on Sky Sports and Test Match Special in the UK during New Zealand tours of England.
Smith took an active role in presenting the Rugby World Cup on Sky in New Zealand.
In April 2020, Smith won New Zealand Cricket's most prestigious award the Bert Sutcliffe Medal for Outstanding Contribution to Cricket.
His son Jarrod Smith is a football player who has appeared for the New Zealand national team.

Legacy

In the 1994 New Year Honours, Smith was made a Member of the Order of the British Empire, for services to cricket. In April 2020, Smith was awarded with the Bert Sutcliffe Medal by New Zealand Cricket for "outstanding services to cricket".