Former England wicketkeeper Matt Prior says Jamie Smith needs to relish being the “heartbeat” of England’s team and be up for “the fight” of trying to help the tourists recover from 2-0 down in the Ashes series.
Smith has struggled in recent matches, failing to pass 33 in his past eight Test innings, while mistakes have crept in behind the stumps with the Surrey man dropping Australia’s Travis Head in the second Test in Brisbane.
“The keeper’s role has always been the heartbeat of that group on the field,” Prior, who won three Ashes series with England in a 79-Test career, told the BBC’s Stumped podcast.
“You’re the drummer of the band, you help the captain and bowlers with angles. You know how the bowlers are getting on, how they’re coming, are they still in rhythm, are they hitting the gloves well, are they not? Are the plans and tactics right for any given batsman, do they need changing?
“If you’re internalising everything and just focusing on your own game, you can’t concentrate on anything external which is hugely important to the captain, bowlers and the rest of the team.
“Jamie Smith, in that role as wicketkeeper, needs to want to be out there, want to be in the middle and want to be in the fight.”
England need to win the third Test in Adelaide to retain a chance of winning the Ashes and Prior said a re-focused Smith was vital to turning round England’s fortunes in the series after two opening defeats.
“The best thing Jamie Smith can do is prep, make sure that your game’s in good order,” said Prior.
“Once that’s done, you can’t do any more than that – if you make a mistake, it’s because you’re human. When you get into the game then it’s about everything external.
“Sometimes you have to force yourself massively, but just focus on ‘Is Jofra hitting the gloves well? Is he swinging it back, is it going across, is the ball swinging, is it not?’
“Grab the fielders, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Zak Crawley – ‘Right we’re going to go pick a fight with Steve Smith’. That’s the stuff you have to do.”
Speaking on the Stick to Cricket podcast, former Australia wicketkeeper Ian Healy said Smith needed to contribute tactically, but could rely on his team-mates to put pressure on the opposition.
“If you care for your team and care for your role as a wicketkeeper, you’re going to give that bowler some advice, you’re going to hatch a plan together. And the plan might not work but you feel like you’re focused,” said Healy.
“Being boisterous or talkative, someone’s got to do it – when they’re batting, they need to hear a presence. If you hear silence behind you then you’re halfway through it.”
Meanwhile, Healy added that Smith would be thinking of the excellent form of opposite number Alex Carey: “It’s a niggle in the back of your head.
“I’ve got to lift or I’m gone here, or my confidence is low – this bloke’s making it look really easy. You have got an eye on the opposition keeper for sure.”
