White-ball king Will Smeed still wants to have it all

‘I have aspirations in all three formats’: White-ball king Will Smeed still wants to have it all after 20-year-old’s Hundred heroics for Birmingham Phoenix

• Will Smeed became the first person to hit a century in the Hundred
• The batsman has continued to impress in a number of franchise cricket leagues
• The 20-year-old insists he still wants to play every format of the game

Will Smeed is maybe the perfect case study of a modern-day cricketer, growing up on a diet of white-ball cricket and now with a wealth of franchise opportunities across the globe.

The 20-year-old made history on Wednesday when he became the first person to hit a century in the Hundred, smashing an unbeaten 101 off 50 balls for Birmingham Phoenix. And this week it was announced he will be a part of the MI Emirates team including Kieron Pollard and Trent Boult when the inaugural UAE ILT20 starts in January.

In the past year, as well as playing for Somerset in the T20 Blast, Smeed has appeared in the Pakistan Super League and the Abu Dhabi T10 and there is every chance of an IPL deal around the corner, given that Mumbai Indians are owned by Reliance Industries, who bought MI Emirates.

Wil Smeed says that he still has aspirations to excel in all three formats of the game 

Yet despite the franchise doors opening left, right and centre and the increasing likelihood of Smeed’s career becoming that of a freelance franchise cricketer, he insists he still wants to play every format of the game.

‘I still have aspirations in all three formats,’ said Smeed. ‘Potentially my practice time will be limited depending on when I’m in Taunton but I still want to play everything.’

He joined Somerset when he was eight, and much of his career has fitted the conventional path of a young English player. From independent boarding school to playing at the Bunbury Festival to going through the ranks at Taunton, Smeed is keen to emphasise the importance of the county set-up in his journey.

‘Every franchise competition is a great learning opportunity, especially for younger players,’ added Smeed. ‘You’re surrounded by world-class players and you’d be silly not to try to learn off them but most of my development has taken place at Somerset and sometimes they don’t get the credit they deserve.’

Smeed became the first person to score a century in the hundred on Wednesday 

Smeed’s natural sporting ability saw him throwing himself into everything from tennis to hockey to hurdling while at school, but he admits rugby was his favourite sport before cricket became the priority.

‘When I got selected for England Under 19s, I had to stop playing rugby because it was clear that cricket was going to be the route,’ said Smeed.

With England’s T20 side undergoing a period of transition, an international call could come soon with a Pakistan tour and a World Cup looming closer but Smeed is adamant right now that his focus is on developing his game.

‘I am not playing these tournaments to play for England. I am playing these tournaments to do well and to improve at cricket,’ he said. ‘Hopefully, one day, that leads to me playing for England.’

l Darren Stevens intends to become the oldest county cricketer to start a season since 1989 next year, despite being released by Kent.

‘I don’t feel like I’m ready to give up’, said all-rounder Stevens, who will turn 47 in April. A return to Leicestershire, the club he left to move to Kent 17 years ago, could be on the cards.

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