England wicketkeeper Jamie Smith is aiming high ahead of a busy summer and winter with the test team as he hopes to become a ‘match-winner’ for the team.
The 24-year-old is just starting his test career, having played nine matches so far, but is already looking at what it takes to be remembered as a great of the game.
England’s summer kicks off with a four-day test against Zimbabwe later this month before a five-match series against India at home and an away tour to Australia over the winter.
Smith is excited about facing two of the best teams in the world and is confident he can rise to the challenge of taking on two blistering bowling attacks when the pressure is mounting.
“When the pressure’s on it definitely gives you more of a focus,” Smith said in an interview with The Guardian.
“You can’t get away from the fact that, when the game is on the line, you want to be the one that takes it on and wins it. Look at some of the best players that have played the game – and the impact they’ve had in situations where they’ve been needed the most.
“Look at Stokesy and some of the innings he’s played where he’s rescued the side from defeat or led them to victory. They’re the things that get remembered. So it would be nice to be the sort of player that can do similar.”
Smith’s start to test match cricket has been a strong one. Propelled into the team to replace Surrey teammate Ben Foakes, he has scored 637 runs at an average of 42.46 including four fifties and a maiden century in 15 innings.
An aggressive batting style marries up with the philosophies of captain Ben Stokes and head coach Brendan McCullum which is helping Smith’s belief that he can become a special player for England.
“If you don’t have that belief there’s no point putting yourself through some of the stuff you have to as a cricketer,” he added.
“When you have a good day you want it to be a memorable day where you’ve put the side in a position to win. You’ve got to have that optimism that you can be the one that, on a given day, can win the game.”
Smith is also keen to make an impression in the Ashes this winter and has been drawing inspiration from 2010/11 tour that England won down under – the last time they achieved the feat.
He said: “I enjoyed putting [boxsets] on and rewatching them, knowing every word of the commentary and knowing these are recent pillars in English cricket.
“They show what can be done and to do something similar, and win an away Ashes, would be every England cricketer’s dream.
“You look at recent results and see how difficult it is out there – it’s almost Test cricket on fast forward with the media and the Australian public. So it would be fantastic to be involved.”
