Could Jamie Smith Shine as Harry Brook Starts England's White-Ball Captaincy Against the West Indies?

Edgbaston, May 28 (NationPress) Wicketkeeper-batter Jamie Smith has been assigned the opening position alongside Ben Duckett, marking a significant new phase in England’s white-ball cricket journey at Edgbaston on Thursday, as Harry Brook takes over the captaincy from Jos Buttler for the first ODI against the West Indies.

Smith’s elevation comes despite a lackluster performance in the Champions Trophy earlier this year in Pakistan, where he scored only 24 runs in three matches, averaging a mere eight. However, the England management, especially head coach Brendon McCullum and the new skipper Brook, believe in his potential.

“Baz and I are convinced he could be an exceptional white-ball opener,” Brook remarked on the eve of the series opener. “He can handle the moving ball, as we’ve seen in Tests. There’s no reason he can’t excel as an opener in white-ball cricket as well.”

The 23-year-old Smith, boasting an average exceeding 40 in Test matches, has been given a “good shot” at the top, although Brook acknowledged that his position is not yet guaranteed. The restructured top-order will feature Joe Root at No. 3 and Brook himself at No. 4, with Buttler at five, who retains the gloves despite stepping down as captain.

The middle-order will include Will Jacks and Jacob Bethell, both expected to offer bowling support alongside veteran leg-spinner Adil Rashid. In terms of pace, Brydon Carse, returning from a toe injury, will join Jamie Overton and Saqib Mahmood in the playing XI.

England is missing several key players due to injuries. Fast bowlers Jofra Archer (thumb) and Gus Atkinson (hamstring) have both been ruled out of the series. Luke Wood from Lancashire has been brought in as a replacement for Archer but will miss the opener, alongside Matthew Potts, Tom Hartley, and Tom Banton.

This series signifies a crucial turning point for English cricket following a challenging 12 months in the limited-overs format. The defending champions were eliminated in the group stages of both the ODI World Cup and the Champions Trophy, and also lost their T20 World Cup title. Buttler’s tenure ended in disappointment despite his 2022 T20 World Cup victory, prompting the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) to initiate a white-ball rebuild under Brook's leadership.

“It’s a new era, and we aim to inject a lot of energy, competitiveness, and enjoyment into our play,” Brook stated. “We want to captivate the crowd, secure some victories, and play aggressive cricket.”

Brook also rejected the idea that England had become indifferent to results. “People suggest we don’t care about winning — that’s false. Everyone despises losing,” he said. “Our philosophy is to apply pressure on bowlers and play with intention.”

The 25-year-old emphasized the significance of squad rotation amid an increasingly busy cricket schedule. “We will strive to have our best players available as often as possible. However, we also need to assist players with their scheduling. The cricket calendar is dense these days.”

Brook, who captained the side during last year’s 3-2 ODI series defeat against Australia in Buttler’s absence, recognized the value of having the former captain still in the lineup.

“Having Jos around is tremendous. He may not have had a successful captaincy run recently, but he did lead us to win the T20 World Cup in Australia. That’s significant,” Brook said.

Buttler, despite recent ODI challenges — averaging below 28 since his last century in February 2023 — has shown signs of revival. He performed exceptionally well for the Gujarat Titans in IPL 2025, amassing 538 runs in 14 matches at an average of 59.77, including five fifties.

“His batting is back to being the best in the world,” Brook confirmed. “When he’s at his peak, he’s the finest white-ball batter globally, in my view.”

England and West Indies will face off in two more ODIs — in Cardiff on June 1 and at The Kia Oval on June 3 — before moving on to the T20I series. The three T20 matches are set for Chester-Le-Street (June 6), Bristol (June 8), and Southampton (June 10).

England XI for the first ODI against West Indies

Ben Duckett, Jamie Smith, Joe Root, Harry Brook (captain), Jos Buttler (wicketkeeper), Jacob Bethell, Will Jacks, Jamie Overton, Brydon Carse, Saqib Mahmood, Adil Rashid