England wicketkeeper-batter Jamie Smith announced that Brendon McCullum informed him he would take on the keeping duties for the five-match ODI series against Australia following the final Test against Sri Lanka. This remark was made just before the first ODI against Australia, starting on Thursday, September 19, in Nottingham.
The cricketing prowess of Smith was apparent despite him being a newbie in international cricket as he was able to demonstrate amazing skills with both bat and gloves during the recent series against West Indies and Sri Lanka.
In 6 test matches so far, he has made 487 runs at an average of 48.70 with the highest score of 111. Another factor which may result in him keeping wickets is due to the absence of Jos Buttler from the team.
The Surrey cricketer told reporters about it, as quoted by The Daily Mail:
“I found out just after the Test finished at the Oval, it’s a pretty quick turn around so Baz (Brendon McCullum) told me I was going to be keeping.”
In the last three T20I matches against Australia, the young player, who was with Harry Brook, was given a break. Smith has bright prospects in List A as he has played 17 matches and scored 434 runs at an average of 39.45.
“The rivalry is always a topic of discussion, so it will be thrilling”- Jamie Smith before taking on Australia
The young player expressed his excitement about facing Australia, highlighting the intense matches that the rivalry creates. The 24-year-old mentioned his desire to play more 50-over cricket, as he hasn’t had much experience in the format. In an interview with Sky Sports, he said:
“It’s extremely exciting whenever you play Australia. It will be my first time so it’s very exciting. That sort of rivalry brings out the best cricket. It’s really exciting to be a part of the ODI stuff.”
“I’ve not really played too much in this format but to get some more international experience is really important. It’s always the rivalry that’s talked about so it will be exciting to play these games against them and let’s see where we get to.”
Australia defeated England in their last bilateral ODI series played in England.
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