Jamie Smith dreams of only one thing – to represent England in all cricket formats. Despite turning 23 less than a month ago, Smith has already scored over 2,500 runs in first class for Surrey, and another 1,100 in domestic white point events.
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This wicket batsman has been on England’s radar for a long time
“Jamie Smith is a firm belief that he will play cricket for England. He is the talent of a generation. The man is a genius,” said BBC commentator Dan Norcross.
Smith played in six caps for England Under-19s in their 2019 Bangladesh multi-format series, captaining four white-ball matches. For Surrey, his chances of playing this year have been limited by the exclusion of Ben Fuchs from England’s Ashes squad, but Smith says it “has done him a huge boon”.
This has allowed him to concentrate on his shots – and his average in the Division One section of the County Championship this season is 41.81, placing him in the top 10 run scorers that include Alastair Cooke, Dan Lawrence and James Vince.
“I’m very proud of what I’ve already achieved and I’m committed to moving forward in the last few months of this season. Hopefully this can lead to playing for England in all formats in the future,” Smith told BBC Sport.
The one who knows Smith best is his Phoenix teammate and former England under-19 colleague Dan Mausley. They’ve known each other since they were 17, and five years later, the spinning midfielder sees Smith’s England debut as a matter of time.
“Even the first time I met him I thought ‘Yes, he’s a real player’ and it doesn’t surprise me at all how well he plays. He can 100% play in all formats for England and have a long, successful career. I think he’s very close, I wouldn’t be surprised if he plays for England in the next 18 months,” Mausley said.
All indicators of the player will certainly grow
Smith’s first-class run total of 669 is already his career best for the season, and Surrey still has three County Championship games left next month as they aim for double First Division victories.
His run count is 64.38 this year, and that vastly increased scoring includes hitting a 77-ball streak for 114 in the fourth innings in Kent in June when Surrey was chasing a 98-year record with 501 runs.
While Smith knows England favors attacking batsmen in the era of Brandon McCallum and Ben Stokes, he doesn’t attribute his improved season to increased stamina, but rather to the confidence gained during the England Lions’ tour of Sri Lanka in January.
On the tour, he scored 202 runs in two multi-day matches with a 67.33 average, including 82 126s, leaving him with a streak scoring score of 124.69.
“It was pretty clear that if you want to play for England you have to be fearless and know when to jump in and try to put pressure on people,” Smith said.
Smith was part of the Weaving last year but did not play a single game for the London Spirit before being drafted to Phoenix this year for £50,000.
Since all matches are televised, unlike the County Championship and T20 blast, Smith sees an opportunity for himself and others to use this as a platform to prepare for his upcoming career in international cricket. As England prepare for a period of change due to an aging squad following the 50 Persian World Cup in October and November, Smith’s opportunity could come in the near future.
Most believe that he is already ready.