His 272 runs against India in the second Test came in a losing cause but the way Smith batted, especially during his unbeaten first-innings 184, was a sure sign he is on the path to greatness.
Even England coach Brendon McCullum was at it when asked after the second Test whether it was time to move Smith up the order.
The casual way McCullum dropped Gilchrist’s name in there tells you how highly England rate Smith. And with good reason.
Gilchrist reinvented the role of the wicketkeeper in Test cricket (Photo: Getty)
His stats also compare favourably to AB De Villiers after a dozen games at Test level. De Villiers cannot be exclusively regarded as a keeper-batter given he only had the gloves for 24 of his 114 Test appearances, including just two of his first 12.
Smith’s 184 at Edgbaston saw him take the record of his mentor at Surrey, Alec Stewart, for the highest Test score by an England wicketkeeper. His record after 12 Tests is also better than that of Matt Prior, England’s best keeper-batter of the 21st century.
Yet what of Rishabh Pant, his opposite number in this series? Again, Smith’s start to life in Test cricket is better on every metric than the Indian, who played his first 12 games between 2018 and 2020.
Yet the 34-year-old has been fulsome in his praise of Smith this week, saying on his For The Love of Cricket podcast with Stuart Broad he could become England’s greatest-ever keeper-batter.
“He could be couldn’t he?” said Buttler. “He’s certainly had an amazing start to his career. He seems to be one of those characters who is unflustered. He walked in on a hat-trick ball [during his 184 at Edgbaston], smacked it down the ground for four. I think he’s been one of the great finds.
How Jamie Smith compares with the great wicketkeeper-batters after 12 Tests…
Jamie Smith (England, 2024-25)
Runs: 997 Average: 58.64 Strike-rate: 76.81 Hundreds: 2 Fifties: 5 Sixes: 26Adam Gilchrist (Australia, 1999-2000)
Runs: 746 Average: 53.28 Strike-rate: 74.45 Hundreds: 1 Fifties: 6 Sixes: 2AB De Villiers (South Africa, 2004-05)
Runs: 1,047 Average: 52.35 Strike-rate: 55.60 Hundreds: 3 Fifties: 5 Sixes: 4Rishabh Pant (India, 2018-20)
Runs: 798 Average: 42 Strike-rate: 68.85 Hundreds: 2 Fifties: 2 Sixes: 19Matt Prior (England, 2007-08)
Runs 650 Average 40.62 Strike-rate 55.69 Hundreds 1 Fifties 5 Sixes 4At 6ft 2in, Smith is tall for a wicketkeeper, as was Gilchrist, who was one inch shorter. Yet Buttler says the way Smith holds himself at the crease is reminiscent of Kevin Pietersen.
It’s a lot to live up to for a player who only turns 25 during this week’s third Test at Lord’s. But given his start, we are right to get excited about just how good Smith might become.
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