TO most players, a shock promotion to No 3 in the England batting line-up for a crunch match would be a huge change. Test legend Joe Root has been moved down to No 4 due to Smith's rise up the order for Saturday's Champions Trophy opener against Australia.
![[England's Jamie Smith running drills with a physiotherapist.]](https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/englands-jamie-smith-undergoes-shuttle-970589885.jpg?strip=all&w=960)
It will be only the second time the big-hitter has come in first wicket down in professional 50-over cricket. Not only that, the 24-year-old will also take the gloves from Phil Salt, who will continue to open the batting alongside Ben Duckett. But it's nothing too dramatic for Smith - not compared to the major decision he made aged 15.
![[Joe Root and Jamie Smith of England during a cricket nets session.]](https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/joe-root-jamie-smith-england-973591230.jpg?strip=all&w=960)
He was a highly-talented central midfielder for League Two club AFC Wimbledon. And indeed as a kid football dominated his thoughts... until he became the first person in his family to play cricket. Surrey CCC rated Smith so highly at the smaller-ball game that they picked him for their Under-17s when he was just 12.
![[Jamie Smith of England hitting a six during a T20 International cricket match.]](https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/jamie-smith-england-hits-six-966559885.jpg?strip=all&w=711)
The nine-cap Test star revealed how it all began. CASINO SPECIAL - BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITS. "I was pushed into a holiday camp with my local club, Sutton - something my parents did to keep me busy.". However, he confessed: "I didn't really want that to be the case, but I knew with my cricket that I had something a little bit special.
![[Jamie Smith of England during cricket nets practice.]](https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/jamie-smith-england-pictured-nets-973591333.jpg?strip=all&w=960)
"I wasn't naive. When you're growing up, people push you for a reason. "They're putting you in higher teams, because they can see a talent in you. ‘It was getting to the point where football and cricket were overlapping too much. "Going on pre-season tours with Surrey in March meant missing things. Doing both wasn't sustainable.".
![[Jamie Smith of England catching a cricket ball during a nets session.]](https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/429c654e-3434-414a-a777-4ba5d64e4451.jpg?strip=all&w=960)
However, Smith revealed choosing cricket was partly down a brutal self-assessment of his chances at football. He said: "Walking into a contracts meeting with Wimbledon at the end of the season, knowing how the contracts worked, I was never going to get one.
