England Names Jamie Smith Opener as Harry Brook Begins ODI Captaincy vs West Indies

England has named Jamie Smith as the opening batsman alongside Ben Duckett for the first of three ODIs against the West Indies at Edgbaston, marking the beginning of a new white-ball era under newly appointed captain Harry Brook. Smith, who struggled batting at number three in the recent Champions Trophy, is being given a fresh opportunity to establish himself as a white-ball opener, supported by head coach Brendon McCullum's confidence in his technique against the moving ball. The series opener also sees Brook making his full-time captaincy debut, with Joe Root at number three and former captain Jos Buttler returning as wicketkeeper. England’s pace attack will include Brydon Carse, Saqib Mahmood, and Jamie Overton, with injury concerns ruling out key bowlers Jofra Archer and Mark Wood. The team aims to rebuild after a poor Champions Trophy showing, hoping to inject energy and competitiveness to secure wins and improve their standing in the ODI rankings, which is crucial for automatic qualification for the 2027 World Cup. Despite a tough schedule ahead, England retains experienced players such as Buttler, Root, and Adil Rashid, with the management optimistic about the squad's potential to perform under Brook’s leadership.