Ed Smith’s clever picks have given England a Ferguson-style makeover | The Spin

National selector is doing a brilliant job by using rotation to craft bespoke XIs as the former Man Utd manager once did

It’s often said that selectors, like wicketkeepers and umpires, are doing their best work when you don’t notice them. Since taking over as national selector, Ed Smith has been in the news more than many of the players he has picked – yet he’s doing a brilliant job.

There are two main reasons for Smith’s profile. The first, a slightly cringeworthy media obsession with his education, is not his fault. And the second is a virtue – a series of selections that have managed to be innovative and eye-catching without being ostentatious.

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Smith and his team have interrogated normative thinking. Why can’t you have a specialist batsman at No7?

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