England cricketer Jamie Smith is mild-mannered and quietly spoken. He’s not one for the on-field backchat, or sledging as it’s known in the game. But he’s fiercely determined and not to be messed with.
He and his partner Kate became parents for the first time last December. Kate’s family are Chelsea fans and Jamie is a lifelong Hammer despite growing up in Sutton in south London. So what’s the deal for baby Noah? “He’s West Ham, I’m afraid – that’s the only deal,” says the 25-year-old Smith with a steely glare.
Smith is one of the rising stars of English cricket and will be a key player in the quest to reclaim the Ashes in the five-match Test series in Australia that kicks off in Perth in late November.
He’s also one of the first names on the team sheet for the shorter, ‘white-ball’ formats when he’s a big-hitting opening batter.
Having starred for Surrey in the domestic game, he was fast-tracked into the England set-up. After a couple of low-key one-day matches against Ireland, he made his Test match debut at Lord’s, the home of cricket, in 2024 against West Indies. He smashed 70 runs in his debut innings including a six that sailed out of the iconic ground.
He’s also the team’s wicket-keeper, a position that is often occupied by big personalities with plenty to say for themselves – like a Gary Neville with gloves.
Smith is not that kind of character. He’s quietly efficient behind the stumps but with a bat in hand, he produces displays as explosive as the pre-match pyrotechnics at London Stadium.
In the recent thrilling Test series against India, he hit the winning runs in the victory in Leeds and then in the next match in Birmingham, he hit a career-best 184 not out – the highest ever score by an England wicket-keeper.
Smith took time out from a busy summer to chat to fellow Hammer and Wisden editor-at-large John Stern about his love for the Hammers, hitting sixes and how he could have been a footballer...