Linsey Smith's England debut shirt lived under her bed for years, a reminder of a time she preferred to forget. The spinner who is now ranked number one in T20 bowling had "hated" her first spell as an international cricketer, so much so that she would check the weather forecast the night before matches and hope for rain. Made her debut at 23 in 2018, playing nine T20s for England and taking 13 wickets with a bowling average below 15 — statistics most players would celebrate. But Smith, who describes herself as a perfectionist, saw only failure. "I'd think bigger picture like, 'this is terrible', 'this is so embarrassing', 'you're not good enough,'" she recalls. "All of that self-doubt crept in."
The weight of her own expectations crushed the joy out of the game she had grown up dreaming of playing. When she lost her England contract after that first spell, Smith considered walking away entirely. For five years, she drifted — playing for club sides like Northern Diamonds and Hampshire, representing The Hundred franchises, and working as a community coach for Leicestershire. Cricket had become a place of dread rather than passion, and the kid who once loved playing with her mates seemed lost forever.
What changed was a shift in how Smith treated the game itself. Returning to cricket through franchise leagues and community work, she rediscovered the love that had been buried under perfectionism. When she was recalled to the England squad in 2024 following the appointment of coach Charlotte Edwards, Smith emerged as a transformed player — and person. She is now a mainstay in England's setup, heading into a home T20 World Cup as the world's leading bowler.
Smith's story is one of vulnerability and resilience, but her cricket story is equally compelling. Unlike tall spinners such as Sophie Ecclestone or Tilly Corteen-Coleman who generate turn and bounce, Smith slings the ball toward the stumps with a characteristically low arm. It is unconventional, and it works. During England's fixtureless winter, she worked with spin-bowling coach Tom Smith to develop variations that play to her strengths rather than fighting against them. The result is a lethal low-arm under-spinner that has made her increasingly effective at the death, in addition to her skills with the new ball. In early-season matches, she has even swung the ball more than the pace bowlers alongside her — a fact she has used to good-naturedly remind the seam-bowling coach that she needs less help with the ball shine.
Now 31, Smith carries some of her old tendencies with her: she is structured, lists everything, plans her days meticulously. But she shares the opening partnership for England with seamer Lauren Bell, a pairing she describes as "yin and yang." Bell's easygoing nature balances Smith's intensity, and together they anchor England's new-ball attack not just for the national side but also for Hampshire and, this year, the lucrative Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the Women's Premier League. The two have become a formidable unit, each bringing out the best in the other.
From hiding her debut shirt under the bed to standing on the cusp of a World Cup as the game's most dangerous T20 bowler, Smith's journey reflects something deeper than sporting redemption. It is about learning that perfection is not the goal — growth, joy, and playing alongside people who lift you up are what matter.