Odean Smith doesn’t yet leap off the page, when looked at in terms of old-school statistics. He has played just 13 international games for West Indies – two T20Is against Pakistan back in 2018 before a recall in late 2021 – and is yet to make a half-century or take more than two wickets in an innings. His T20I economy rate sits above 10 runs per over, and he has never taken a professional five-for or scored a top-level century.

And yet dig deeper, and there’s the profile of a player who is on the cusp of the big-time in every sense, with a rapid improvement over the past 12 months marking him out as a player to keep your eye on.

What is Odean Smith’s story?

Born in Jamaica in 1996, Smith was part of the West Indies side that sealed Under-19 Cricket World Cup glory in 2016. However, he played only a limited part in that tournament, managing just 25 runs and three wickets across four games, and conceding more than six runs an over with the ball.

As is the modern way, Smith made his debut in franchise cricket before doing so in first-class cricket, with four appearances in the 2017 Carribean Premier League preceding a four-day debut for Jamaica that winter. In between came a maiden outing for West Indies A, showing how highly rated he was. While he was getting opportunities, there was little to show for it, with figures of 3-20 on T20 debut against Trinbago Knight Riders the only performance of notes.

A debut for West Indies came about in 2018, but that was partly down to the reluctance of many senior players to tour Pakistan, and Smith didn’t make waves, slipping back into domestic cricket soon after.

The rise of Odean Smith

There were sparks of promise from Odean Smith in 50-over cricket for Jamaica and in the CPL, having transferred to Guyana Amazon Warriors. But it was a stint at the Abu Dhabi T10 League in 2021 that truly saw his career take flight.

Smith smashed 139 off 49 balls across seven innings at the competition, with 11 fours and 13 sixes. In a tournament featuring the likes of Andre Russell, Paul Stirling, Liam Livingstone and Moeen Ali, Smith’s strike-rate was far and away the highest, a lofty 283.67. He also chipped in with 11 wickets for Deccan Gladiators – only three bowlers claimed more – and soon enough, he was in a West Indies squad again, once more facing Pakistan.

How has Odean Smith done for West Indies?

Smith is arguably still waiting for a breakout international performance, but if you watch closely, he’ll catch your eye. He’s only got a high score of 46, but that was a staggering 19-ball knock rescuing West Indies from 143-8 against Ireland. Given West Indies’ batting strength, he is yet to earn a promotion from the tail-end, but given the consistency of his big-hitting, it is surely only a matter of time.

Smith has never ended an international innings with a strike-rate below 120, and, since his recall, has hit at least one six every time he has batted. He has an average of 26.71 and a strike-rate of 187.00 in international cricket in that time. His ODI strike-rate of 197 is the highest of any batter in history with 100 runs or more to their name.

While his bowling is still developing, he is capable of reaching speeds of above 140kph, and that, combined with his big-hitting skills, is a combination bestowed upon only a select number. Add in the fact that he’s 25 years old, and could be a player to build a franchise around, and he could yet fetch a big bid at the IPL auction.

Is there anything else in his favour?

The IPL auction is now a much more scientific, statistically driven place than it once was. But it still doesn’t hurt to show what you can do against India, in India, in the week leading up to the auction. He has smashed 24 off 27 and 36 off 18 in two ODI innings for West Indies this week. Perfectly timed.