Who is Jamie Smith? 5 interesting facts about England's uncapped wicket-keeper called up for West Indies Tests
The talented keeper-batter Jamie Smith earned his maiden England call-up for the first two home Tests against West Indies, slated to be played this month. He is set to be the frontline wicket-keeper, with Jonny Bairstow and James Foster ousted from the roster.
Playing for Surrey since 2018, Smith has garnered 3,264 runs at an average of around 40 in 58 first-class games, with nine centuries and 13 fifties. Meanwhile, he has accumulated 1,317 runs in 79 T20s and 434 runs in 17 ODIs.
Smith has amassed over 600 runs at an average of more than 55 in 2024 County Championship Division One for Surrey. His top knock of 155 off 179 against Warwickshire resulted in Surrey's nine-wicket victory and him staking a claim for the keeper's slot in the national team. Interestingly, after getting named in the squad, the 23-year-old scored a century in the ongoing game against Essex.
On that note, let's take a look at the five facts about Jamie Smith, which prove his merit as a batter.
#1 Made Surrey debut at an age of 17
Smith has been representing Surrey since the Under-9 level and since then has played in every age-group cricket for them. After impressing the selectors with his performances, he earned a selection into the senior T20 team.
His T20 debut came against Middlesex on July 5, 2018, a week before his 18th birthday. In the next domestic season, Smith forayed into the other formats as well.
#2 Was England U19's top batter in Youth Test series against Bangladesh in 2019
In February 2019, Jamie Smith was a part of England U19 side, who toured Bangladesh for the two-match Youth Test series. Although Bangladesh won both games, Smith shone bright with his performances.
He garnered 208 runs in four innings at an average of 52, with a top score of 90 to emerge as the top batter in the series. Certainly, the youngster gave evidence of his talent and was a termed a future keeper prospect.
#3 Hit a double century in 2022 County Championship season
Although Jamie Smith had a medicore 2022 County Championship season, he registered his highest first-class score of 234* off 430 against Gloucestershire. His innings comprised 34 fours, which floored the opposition bowling attack, including Mohammad Amir.
His efforts led the team to a mammoth total of 603, and Gloucs responded with 443/2 as the match ended in a draw.
#4 Jamie Smith slammed 700+ runs in Surrey's title-winning 2023 season
The elegant batter had a strong showing in the 2023 County Championship season, which further fueled his England prospects. Jamie Smith amassed 736 runs in 19 innings at an average of 40.88, with two hundreds and four fifties.
Smith's effort helped Surrey finish at the top of the table with six wins in 14 league matches, which helped the team to be crowned as champions.
#5 Made his ODI debut in September 2023
With an average of around 40 in List-A format, Jamie Smith made his ODI debut against Ireland in September 2023. He was dismissed for 9 off 10 by George Dockrell.
In the next game of the series, he didn't get to bat and it was his last appearance for England in international cricket. With the presence of keepers like Jos Buttler and Jonny Bairstow in the limited-overs setup, it will be difficult for him to break into the side.