England Star Receives Brutal 'Dumb Cricket' Verdict During 5th Ashes Test
England cricket team batter Jamie Smith faced scathing criticism for throwing away his wicket during Day 2 of the fifth Ashes Test match against Australia.
England cricket team batter Jamie Smith faced scathing criticism for throwing away his wicket during Day 2 of the fifth Ashes Test match against Australia on Monday. England began the day on a positive note thanks to a brilliant partnership between Joe Root and Harry Brook. Even after Brook was dismissed, Root found a capable partner in Smith, and the pair added another 94 runs to put England in control. However, Smith played a reckless shot off the bowling of Marnus Labuschagne and was caught in the deep for 46. The dismissal was slammed by both English and Australian experts, with former Australia coach Justin Langer calling it the "dumbest shot ever."
"What I do know is that, not for the first time in this series, Jamie Smith has played one of the dumbest shots you'll ever see in Test cricket. He was lucky earlier; he had a very soft dismissal off a no-ball to Cameron Green. Test cricket goes for five days; this is dumb cricket. Marnus Labuschagne is pumped," he said on commentary.
Justin Langer said, “not for the first time in this series, Jamie Smith has played one of the dumbest shots you'll ever see in Test cricket”.
— Richard Kettleborough (@RichKettle07) January 5, 2026
- Marnus Labuschagne can't believe it! What a poor shot by Jamie Smith
- What's your takepic.twitter.com/ht4Ba7zWAi
Former England captain Nasser Hussain was also extremely unhappy with Smith's shot selection, pointing out that the timing of his dismissal was particularly problematic for England.
"Was it England's worst dismissal of the series? It was right up there," Hussain said on Sky Sports.
"It was a really poor shot, not just because of the execution and because Labuschagne was bowling, but the timing - and that is the problem with this England side."
"It was nine minutes until lunch and five overs until the new ball. Just survive and go again," he added. "They have a lot of talent but don't seem to lock on to the situation of the game."
Joe Root
England Cricket Team
Australia Cricket Team