England wicketkeeper-batsman Jamie Smith is hoping the new Test series against Pakistan will give him a chance to get back into the form that has helped him rise to one of England’s brightest players.
Smith had an impressive debut in Test cricket as he scored an average of 58.64 in his first 12 matches and is the fastest wicketkeeper to reach 1,000 Test runs, doing so in 21 innings.
However, his performance has slipped somewhat over the last year; his average has reduced to 39.62 in 22 Tests.
Smith had only one half-century, scoring 60 in Adelaide, during England’s 4-1 Ashes loss in Australia. He’s since made strides, though, with another 60 at Trent Bridge against New Zealand.
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The 26-year-old thinks that series with Pakistan can be the best platform for a comeback. The series is very important as it is a part of the World Test Championship.
“I’m a little bit disappointed with the past six to nine months,” he said. “They’ve been making some tough calls,” Smith said to the Press Association. The hard times would ultimately make me a better player,” he added.
Smith is also in the process of improving his wicketkeeping skills with former England player Sarah Taylor.
He said that it would be a long-term project, working on the technical side of his game.
The wicketkeeper also said that he had been given the confidence to do the job by former England coach Brendon McCullum, even though Jamie Smith had been criticised for lacking county experience.
While Smith has struggled in recent Test cricket, he looks to his first match against Pakistan at Headingley on August 19 as a chance to pull off a comeback.
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