| Richard Andrew Mortimer Smith was a Trinidad and | | | | explains the lack of success in domestic competitions. |
| Tobago batsman who played First Class cricket | | | | Smith had his moments with the bat, scoring two |
| between 1991 and 2002. The right-handed, middle | | | | centuries with a best of 179. He also managed 18 |
| order batsman was a compact player-not an elegant | | | | half-centuries and 56 catches during his First Class |
| stroke-maker. Although he was not a very | | | | career. Although he bowled right-arm medium pace as |
| productive player at domestic level, especially | | | | well, Smith was not even a part-time bowler, having |
| considering the reducing standards of West Indies | | | | earned only one wicket in domestic cricket. |
| domestic cricket in that era, Smith played a role in a | | | | Smith also played 46 one-day fixtures for Trinidad |
| Trinidad side that was in transition. | | | | and Tobago between 1991 and 2002. Batting in 41 |
| Born in Trinidad on July 17, 1971, Richard A. M. Smith | | | | innings, he scored 935 runs at an average of 26.71. |
| made his First Class debut back in 1991, as a 19 year | | | | 102 of those runs came in one game-representing his |
| old, for Trinidad and Tobago. He went on to play 70 | | | | best one-day score and solitary century. Smith had |
| First Class matches for T&T over 12 seasons and 46 | | | | three half-centuries to complement that as well. While |
| one-day games over the same period. Richard was a | | | | Richard did not play international cricket, the high |
| somewhat limited batsman who was stronger on the | | | | point of the middle-order batsman's career was when |
| offside. When he played cricket for his country, it | | | | he earned selection to the West Indies A team in |
| was in a period where T&T struggled in the regional | | | | the 90s. |
| competitions. With Brian Lara being unavailable to | | | | Towards the end of his career, he held the captaincy |
| captain or play for the national team regularly in that | | | | when there were few candidates available for the |
| period, Smith filled the void and led the team in the | | | | task. Trinidad and Tobago had an abysmal run under |
| early 21st century. | | | | Smith, although it is likely because the side lacked |
| In his 70 First Class fixtures, in which he batted in 117 | | | | enough good players. Under his tenure, Trinidad |
| innings, Richard Smith tallied 3058 runs at a mediocre | | | | regularly finished at the bottom of the table or near |
| average of 28.31. Most specialist batsmen in the | | | | to it. When he was dropped from the T&T side and |
| West Indies domestic competition do not average | | | | Daren Ganga took over the captaincy from Smith, a |
| more than 30, making Smith's average just about par. | | | | new era had dawned for the Land of the |
| However, he was one of T&T's frontline batsmen, | | | | Hummingbird. |
| along with Lincoln Roberts and Daren Ganga, which | | | | |