Jamie Smith has backed “unbiased thinker” Ollie Pope to do an important job as alternative for injured England skipper Ben Stokes throughout the three-match Take a look at sequence with Sri Lanka.
Pope will step as much as captain England subsequent week after Stokes was dominated out of the remainder of the summer season with a torn left hamstring, which he sustained whereas taking part in in The Hundred on Sunday.
Whereas Pope has been Stokes’ quantity two, his personal captaincy expertise is proscribed to eight Twenty20 matches this season and a first-class fixture between Surrey and Glamorgan in 2021.
England wicketkeeper Smith featured below Pope within the Vitality Blast, the place Surrey gained six out of eight, and is assured he can lead from the entrance in opposition to Sri Lanka.
Wishing you all the very best in your restoration, Ben 👊
— England Cricket (@englandcricket) August 13, 2024
“Yeah, he’ll be nice. It’s clearly a implausible honour and I do know Ollie is somebody who shall be very proud strolling on the market and captaining England,” Smith stated.
“I believe what he’ll deliver is fairly just like what Ben Stokes brings. He’s somebody who’s a really unbiased thinker, he’s all the time pondering on his ft and won’t let the sport drift.
“He’s all the time seeking to be proactive, which is a good talent to have and particularly in Take a look at cricket you don’t need to be stagnant for too lengthy. This present regime doesn’t need to be stagnant for too lengthy, so he suits that invoice completely.
“It is going to be nice to play below him, one other Surrey individual and it’s thrilling occasions. He was very relaxed (for Surrey). He introduced an important calmness to the group, which isn’t simple in T20 and particularly at Surrey with the personnel you’ve obtained.
“He has nice composure and I really feel like he settled the aspect actually properly and introduced alongside group that was very profitable within the group levels.”
Stokes’ absence may end in Smith being moved up from quantity seven to bat at six.
The 24-year-old, who impressed in opposition to West Indies final month along with his glovework alongside scores of 70 and 95, insisted it might not have an effect on him.
Smith added: “It gained’t hassle me in any respect. The distinction between seven and 6 isn’t a massively nice one anyway, however yeah will probably be good to get on the market once more in every week’s time.”
The present focus for Smith is The Hundred and a victory for Birmingham Phoenix over Manchester Originals on Thursday will earn them a knockout berth.
He was grateful the Phoenix administration staff gave him an additional match off after England obligation however was content material along with his begin to life on the Take a look at scene and retains ambitions to finally be an all-format worldwide participant.
“I believe it was a profitable begin, however it’s solely simply the beginning actually,” Smith insisted.
“It was good to get on the market and expertise all of it and be in an surroundings which lets you thrive and you’ll play with good confidence and be your self.
“Mentally and bodily, it was quite a bit in three weeks going from county cricket into that and with the potential for extra to come back.
“It was good to have simply an additional week of a breather principally and I used to be very grateful to Birmingham for permitting that to occur. It’s my aspiration to play all codecs. I believe I will be profitable in all codecs for England and it’s one thing I’ll positively be seeking to do.”
:: KP Snacks, the official staff companion of The Hundred, is continuous its initiative to construct 100 new neighborhood cricket pitches throughout England and Wales, with 35 model new pitches happening in 2024. Go to: www.everyonein.co.uk/pitchfinder.
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