Jamie Smith is an “incredible talent” who will thrive in his surprise promotion to number three in the batting order for England’s Champions Trophy clash against Australia on Saturday, captain Jos Buttler has said.
Smith has ousted Phil Salt as wicketkeeper for England’s tournament opener in Lahore and has been carded at first drop, despite never having batted higher than number five in his 18 international appearances.
He averages 22.16 with a high score of 49 in seven ODIs but has impressed as wicketkeeper-batter in Tests since his debut last July.
Smith, 24, has only batted once at number three for Surrey in List A cricket but Buttler backed him to thrive in his new role after the gamble by head coach Brendon McCullum.
“We just feel it’s a nice position to give him a free hit to try and really impact the game in that top three,” Buttler said at his pre-match press conference.
“Jamie is an incredible talent who has taken to international cricket so well. You can place him in that position to try and have a really big impact with a number of guys behind him.
“He’s obviously got the game technically and tactically, the head on his shoulders is one of his biggest strengths. I think you could ask him to bat anywhere in the line-up and it wouldn’t faze him.”
With Salt opening the batting alongside Ben Duckett and Smith to follow, Buttler has given the trio free licence to attack the 10-over powerplay with an experienced middle order offering protection.
Yorkshire pair Joe Root and Harry Brook will be at numbers four and five respectively with Buttler back at six – where he has batted the most in a decorated ODI career – and Liam Livingstone at seven.
“That top three can be really aggressive and impose themselves and try and play a match-defining innings, with the blanket of Root, Brook and myself and Livi behind,” Buttler told the BBC.
England have reinforced their batting stocks after their struggles against spin were laid bare by India on a chastening tour where they lost seven of eight matches and were swept 3-0 in the ODI series.
However, they have just four frontline options to call upon as Jofra Archer and Mark Wood are set to play an ODI for the first time together in two years alongside fellow paceman Brydon Carse and leg-spinner Adil Rashid, with Livingstone and Root set to share fifth bowler duties.
“We back the guys we’ve picked,” Buttler added. “It’s a really exciting line-up.
“Besides the results, the environment in the group is great, the mood in the camp is really excited and the perception is one of huge optimism.
“We know we’ve got a lot of talent, we want to perform to the level we know we’re capable of, we’re working hard to do that and we know the results will come.”
