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Fit-again Smith gets ultra-rare outing at No 3
The Guardian
|February 21, 2025
It was as if they could not wait to share the news, England naming their XI for tomorrow's Champions Trophy opener against Australia well in advance and springing a surprise too.
Jamie Smith is back from a calf injury and will keep wicket but, more eye-catchingly, he will bat at No 3.
The team emerged as Jos Buttler's side trained under lights at the Gaddafi Stadium yesterday evening and, on the eve of a major tournament, represented something of a curveball. Gifted but inexperienced, Smith has batted first-drop just once in his List A career at Surrey, while Joe Root, England's record centurion in ODI cricket, has moved down a spot.
However, if the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results then England - with eight defeats from their last 11 ODIs - are at least attempting to break the cycle. Their middle order misfired during the recent 3-0 shellacking in India and having their best player at No 4 should, in theory at least, shore things up a touch.
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