Jamie Smith had solely simply turned 5 at first of the 2005 Ashes, however the reminiscences of Kevin Pietersen in full circulation stay vivid. When England’s Check group come calling — and it could possibly be as early as July — there may be little doubt how Smith will method the duty.
‘From a really early age, I beloved the way in which Pietersen batted,’ he tells Mail Sport. ‘These Ashes had been my first introduction to cricket, and it was simply his attacking nature and positivity.
‘Half the battle as a batsman is psychological. You possibly can stroll out with that air of confidence, even borderline vanity, and the opposition sense it. You solely get one likelihood as a batsman, so that you need a slight edge from the beginning.’
The 23-year-old Smith, who made his worldwide debut throughout final summer season’s one-day collection towards Eire, shouldn’t be an apparent Pietersen prototype. The most recent Surrey participant to go by the ranks of Whitgift College in Croydon — following Jason Roy, Rory Burns and Dom Sibley — Smith exudes modesty, and is acutely aware that any discuss of the England wicketkeeping position implies dangerous information for his county team-mate Ben Foakes.
However the proof is turning into exhausting to disregard. Smith was a prodigy, taking part in for Surrey Beneath 17s on the age of 12, scoring 90 and 104 in an Beneath 19s Check in Bangladesh in February 2019, and the next month making a century on first-class debut for Surrey in Dubai towards an MCC assault together with Stuart Broad. In April 2022, he caught the eye of the England hierarchy with an unbeaten 234 towards Gloucestershire at Bristol, having arrived on the crease with the scoreboard studying 37 for 3.
Surrey star Jamie Smith (proper) has opened up on his admiration for England’s Bazball type
The Surrey star has once more excelled this season and could possibly be set for a global call-up to the Check aspect this summer season
Thought not an apparent Kevin Pietersen (pictured) prototype, Smith has a variety of admiration for the England legend’s type of batting
Nonetheless, it’s two newer innings that set tongues wagging. At Galle in February 2023, Smith thrashed a 71-ball hundred, together with eight sixes, towards Sri Lanka A, the quickest century within the historical past of England Lions. It earned him a namecheck from Ben Stokes, and reward from Ian Bell, the Lions’ batting coach, who purred about his footwork towards spin.
4 months later, with Surrey chasing an apparently unattainable 501 to beat Kent at Canterbury, Smith equipped the impetus with 114 off 77 deliveries, constituted of 139 whereas he was batting. Surrey received a unprecedented recreation by 5 wickets.
This season, he’s averaging 56 with a strike-rate of 84, together with a crushing 155 off 179 balls towards Warwickshire. His 11 sixes have been bettered in division one solely by Durham’s David Bedingham. Given the way wherein Stokes’s group are approaching Check cricket, it might be odd if Smith — whose first-class common is slightly below 41 — weren’t being mentioned.
Does he bat with the Bazball ethos in thoughts, or does it come naturally? ‘It is extra an in-the-moment really feel about how the sport’s panning out,’ he says. ‘In a few of these video games, I felt the perfect type of defence was assault.
‘The way in which the England group have performed has impressed folks to do issues they would not have finished earlier than. Everybody says you need to rating a bit slower in four-day cricket. Truly, you do not. Scoring runs is a very powerful factor, and the way you get there may be as much as the person.
‘I would say it comes naturally, and it is thrilling. Going on the market and never worrying about getting out and trying to rating runs has helped my recreation push ahead.’
It was a pity the climate disadvantaged England followers of the possibility to see extra of Smith through the Eire collection, when his solely innings was 9 off 10 balls at Trent Bridge.
Nevertheless it gave him a style of the large time, and he needs to be an all-format worldwide cricketer — an ambition confirmed by his resolution over the winter to look, with England’s blessing, within the ILT20 franchise event within the UAE, moderately than tour India with the Lions. For now, there may be the awkward matter of wishing Foakes success because the Check wicketkeeper whereas realizing that he’s an impediment to his personal ambitions. Of Smith’s 56 first-class matches, solely 19 have come behind the stumps.
His aggressive type and success is bound to have caught the attention of Ben Stokes (proper) and Co
An England call-up for Smith might imply he ousts Surrey team-mate Ben Foakes (pictured)
Others have advised he might play for his nation as a specialist No 3 towards West Indies
Smith is diplomatic: ‘Seeing Ben miss out with England is a bittersweet factor, since you really feel for him as an individual, however you are glad to have him again (at Surrey), as a result of he makes such a distinction.’
Some have even advised Smith might play for England as a specialist No 3, although that might imply ousting Ollie Pope, one other county team-mate and the Check vice-captain.
Both approach, director of cricket Rob Secret’s a giant fan, whereas Gareth Batty, his coach at Surrey, wants little convincing.
‘Final 12 months, he made defining contributions at key moments that solely senior gamers do constantly,’ says Batty. ‘You may be scribing about that younger man slightly bit extra sooner or later. It is watch-out time for the folks he’ll be taking part in towards.’
