Champions Trophy 2025: England’s Jamie Smith selection explained

The move looks to be the latest aggressive tactic employed by England under coach Brendon McCullum.

Smith is yet to score a fifty in his seven one-day internationals but impressed in his first summer in Test cricket last year.

His 67 in the third Test against Sri Lanka, when he took 52 runs from his last 18 balls with powerful yet technically correct boundary hitting, was the clearest example of why England view his batting as potentially game-changing.

And while he replaces arguably England’s greatest number three in ODI cricket in Joe Root, who excelled in the role up to and during the 2019 World Cup win, the hierarchy clearly believe Smith is the better option to attack the powerplay if a wicket should fall in the first 10 overs.

That would leave Root to play his more measured role after two wickets have fallen rather than one.

“That top three of Duckett, Salt and Smith can be really aggressive and impose themselves and try and play a match-defining innings, with the blanket of Root, Brook and myself and Livi [Liam Livingstone] behind,” captain Jos Buttler explained.

Australia used a similar tactic during their 2023 World Cup win with Mitchell Marsh coming in at three ahead of Steve Smith and Marnus Labuschagne.