England spinner Linsey Smith says she is in a much better place both as a player and a person as she prepares for the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup on home soil.
Smith heads into the tournament as the world’s number one-ranked T20 bowler, but her journey back to the England side has not always been straightforward. After making her international debut in 2018, the left-arm spinner struggled with the pressure she placed on herself and eventually lost her England contract.
Looking back on that period, Smith admitted she found international cricket difficult to enjoy despite performing well on the field. “I feel guilty talking about it and saying it, but that’s just me being honest. I’d put so much pressure on myself and kind of would spiral when things didn’t go right. It would really affect me negatively. I’d think bigger picture like, ‘this is terrible’, ‘this is so embarrassing’, ‘you’re not good enough’. All of that self-doubt crept in,” Smith told BBC Sport.
Smith played nine T20 internationals during her first spell with England and took 13 wickets. However, she said her desire for perfection often prevented her from appreciating her achievements. “It’s hard to explain really, but growing up as a kid, you have these goals to play for England. Then you get there and you put all this internal pressure on yourself, which isn’t helpful. I just wanted everything to be perfect, every ball to be perfect, which is quite unrealistic. I had a lot of growing up to do as well,” she said.
After losing her England contract, Smith rebuilt her confidence through domestic cricket with Northern Diamonds, Hampshire and in franchise competitions. She also worked as a community coach before earning a recall to the national side in 2024. Since then, she has become an important part of England’s T20 setup under head coach Charlotte Edwards and now forms a successful new-ball partnership with seamer Lauren Bell.
Smith said their contrasting personalities have helped create a strong partnership on and off the field. “We’re obviously the opening partnership and the yin and yang. I’ll have lists and I’m very structured in terms of like how I plan my days and stuff and she’s obviously just away with the fairies. That’s great for her where she really helps me out as well,” Smith said.
The spinner has also worked on expanding her skills during the past year. Alongside spin-bowling coach Tom Smith, she developed new variations, including a low-arm delivery that has added another option to her game. Rather than trying to change her action, the focus was on making the most of what already made her different from other left-arm spinners. “We just looked at my action and said ‘you’re not going to get your arm really high and we’re not going to push you away from your strengths’. It’s just been about just having a bit of a play around, to be honest, and figuring out what’s working,” she said.
England will rely heavily on Smith during the World Cup, where she is expected to play a key role with the new ball and through the middle overs. Her return to the international setup has coincided with some of the best cricket of her career, and she arrives at the tournament with confidence and consistency.
For Smith, the biggest difference is that she is enjoying cricket again. After overcoming the challenges of her first England spell, she now has the chance to help her side chase World Cup success in front of home fans.
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