The transfer appears to be the most recent aggressive tactic employed by England beneath coach Brendon McCullum.
Smith is but to attain a fifty in his seven one-day internationals however impressed in his first summer time in Check cricket final 12 months.
His 67 within the third Check in opposition to Sri Lanka, when he took 52 runs from his final 18 balls with highly effective but technically right boundary hitting, was the clearest instance of why England view his batting as doubtlessly game-changing.
And whereas he replaces arguably England’s best quantity three in ODI cricket in Joe Root, who excelled within the function as much as and throughout the 2019 World Cup win, the hierarchy clearly imagine Smith is the higher choice to assault the powerplay if a wicket ought to fall within the first 10 overs.
That would go away Root to play his extra measured function after two wickets have fallen fairly than one.
“That prime three of Duckett, Salt and Smith may be actually aggressive and impose themselves and try to play a match-defining innings, with the blanket of Root, Brook and myself and Livi [Liam Livingstone] behind,” captain Jos Buttler defined.
Australia used an identical tactic throughout their 2023 World Cup win with Mitchell Marsh coming in at three forward of Steve Smith and Marnus Labuschagne.
