Buttler confident in Jamie Smith's No. 3 role for England
What's the story
England cricket team captain, Jos Buttler, has announced a bold move for the upcoming Champions Trophy match against Australia.
Wicketkeeper Jamie Smith will be batting at No. 3 for the first time in his international career.
The decision comes as both teams gear up to launch their campaigns in a highly anticipated match that has witnessed an unprecedented demand for tickets.
Here's more.
Captain's faith
Buttler expresses confidence in Smith's abilities
Buttler was confident about Smith's abilities and said, "We just feel it's a nice position to give him a free hit to try and really impact the game," the skipper stated during a press conference.
He further lauded Smith's abilities while stating, "Jamie's someone with incredible talent and taken to international cricket so well that we feel he's got the game."
Buttler feels Smith's technical and tactical skills, make him the best man for this important position.
Performance history
Smith's impressive track record against spin
Smith has shown his skills against spin before, especially in a Test in Pakistan.
With England in a tough spot at 118 for 6, Smith unleashed a stunning counter-attack with 89 off just 119 balls.
This included an unbelievable display against Pakistan's top offspinner Sajid Khan, scoring a run-a-ball 61 without getting out.
Team strategy
England's strategy aims to strengthen middle order
The decision to slot Smith at No. 3 will push Joe Root, Harry Brook, and Buttler himself down the order.
This tactical move is aimed at strengthening England's middle order and avoiding collapses like the ones witnessed during their white-ball tour of India.
Despite a poor record in recent ODIs, Buttler is cautiously optimistic about the upcoming match against Australia.
Information
England announce playing XI for Australia clash
England announced their playing XI two days before the game. Here's ENG XI: Phil Salt, Ben Duckett, Jamie Smith (wk), Joe Root, Harry Brook, Jos Buttler, Liam Livingstone, Brydon Carse, Jofra Archer, Adil Rashid, Mark Wood.
Stats
A look at Smith's ODI and List A numbers
According to ESPNcricinfo, the young wicketkeeper-batter has amassed 133 runs in seven ODIs.
Across six innings, he averages 22.16 and has a strike rate of 93.
He also owns a high score of 49. Meanwhile, in 22 List A matches, he has racked up 558 runs while averaging 34.87.
Smith boasts three fifties and a high score of 85 across 18 innings.