Women’s T20 World Cup: Linsey Smith’s rise to world number one

Smith, now 31, played nine T20s for England across that first spell. She took 13 wickets, had a bowling average below 15 and an economy rate of little more than a run a ball.

Many, possibly most, would view that as a success but Smith, who describes herself as a perfectionist, was unable to find the positives at the time. She then lost her England contract.

“It’s hard to explain really but growing up as a kid, you have these goals to play for England,” Smith says.

“Then you get there and you put all this internal pressure on yourself, which isn’t helpful.

“I just wanted everything to be perfect, every ball to be perfect, which is quite unrealistic. I had a lot of growing up to do as well.

“When I did lose the contract, the kid that grew up wanting to play for England and loved playing with their mates, I’d just lost all sight of that.

“Cricket wasn’t a fun place for me to be in at that time.”

It was at this point Smith considered walking away from the game entirely but she regained the love with Northern Diamonds, Hampshire, in The Hundred and in other franchise leagues. She also worked as a community coach for Leicestershire.

After five years away she was recalled in 2024 and since the appointment of coach Charlotte Edwards, Smith has become a mainstay, and one who goes into a home World Cup as the world’s leading bowler.

She is a “a very different player and person” now, though some of those old tendencies remain.

“Me and Belly [England seamer Lauren Bell] joke about it a lot,” Smith says.

“We’re obviously the opening partnership and the yin and yang.

“I’ll have lists and I’m very structured in terms of like how I plan my days and stuff and she’s obviously just away with the fairies.

“That’s great for her where she really helps me out as well.”