Record-holder Robin Smith admits he is “flabbergasted” no one has beaten his one-day best of 167, but believes it will fall any day now.
Smith’s 23-year-old England record, made against Australia in a 55-over match, somehow still stands after Jason Roy came within five of it in just 118 balls at the Oval on Wednesday.
The 52-year-old, who now lives in Australia, faced 163 balls for his mammoth score.
His knock included three sixes off an attack featuring Paul Reiffel — who was the TV umpire during Roy’s 162.
“I’m absolutely flabbergasted that record still stands,” said Smith ahead of Saturday’s final ODI between England and Sri Lanka in Cardiff.
In pictures — Jason Roy lights up the Oval as England win the fourth ODI:
“With the quality of players to have represented England since my retirement, I’m very surprised I’ve still got it.
“There have been some wonderful players and I look at the scorecard after every game and am surprised one of them hasn’t passed me – but it is just around the corner.
“I hope one of the guys in the side does it in the near future, because there are a few of them capable of doing it and records are there to be broken.
“It is something I will gladly pass on.
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“One thing I do know is that whoever breaks the record will have had to play magnificently, especially with the strike-rates now. To play attacking cricket like that throughout an innings to get past 167 will have been a fantastic knock.”
And it will be an innings hugely different to the one fashioned by Smith at Edgbaston – without a reverse sweep in sight.
“There are some terrific players in the current England side and the shots they play are just incredible, we wouldn’t even dream of playing those type of shots in our day,” added the man known as Judge.
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Joe Root could be just the star to take the record, and he is tipping a player to go well beyond Smith.
Root said: “The beauty of the way we’re playing at the moment is that there’s a number of guys who could line up scores of over 200 on their day.
“And that’s frightening, really.”
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