Wed Sep 18 04:10:56 UTC 2024: ## McCullum’s Influence Propels Jamie Smith to England’s ODI Squad

**Nottingham, England:** England’s new wicketkeeper Jamie Smith is aiming to emulate the attacking style of head coach Brendon McCullum, who has given him his chance in both Test and ODI cricket. Smith, who was selected for the upcoming five-match ODI series against Australia, is hoping to follow in the footsteps of the former New Zealand captain, a dynamic wicketkeeper-batsman himself.

McCullum, who officially takes over England’s white-ball set-up in January, was instrumental in Smith’s selection. After a strong showing in his debut Test series against Sri Lanka, McCullum informed Smith that he would be taking over the wicketkeeping duties from the injured Jos Buttler, who will be focusing on captaincy.

Smith, who has previously been deployed as a specialist batsman for Surrey, is excited about the new challenge. “To be told I’m keeping wicket for England in a couple of formats now is nice,” he said. “Baz (McCullum) told me I was going to be keeping, and he’s sort of what I look to be as a cricketer: that nice attacking wicketkeeper-batsman.”

Smith, who has drawn comparisons to Australian legend Adam Gilchrist, is confident that he can thrive in the aggressive style favored by McCullum. “It gives you confidence to have someone there that’s had that sort of experience. You don’t tend to get too many wicketkeepers that are coaches and have an important role in the side, to help you along the way, so it’s great to have him.”

England’s ODI squad for the series against Australia also includes Saqib Mahmood, bolstering their already strong pace attack. The series starts at Trent Bridge on Thursday.

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