North Otago’s favourite son has had his ticket punched for the Champions Trophy in Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates after a series of promising efforts in his debut international season.
He and the other players who made the cut were treated to some clips of the 2000 tournament, which the Black Caps won, at an announcement function in Auckland on Sunday.
"I actually had a few goosebumps watching the highlights as I walked in," Smith said.
"I was only a year or two old when they won that, but obviously to look back, it was a massive victory for New Zealand in the context of world cricket.
"Winning a global event, our first one, in the iconic teal — it was cool to see that, and it’s cool to be a part of this group going to Pakistan."
It will be the first major international tournament for Smith.
While he might be an Oamaru lad, he has been playing cricket at the top provincial level for nearly a decade, has experience in the English county system and has taken to international cricket like a duck to water, so he is not expecting to be over-awed by the occasion.
Still, it was a thrill when he heard one of the sport’s greats had taken notice of him recently.
"Who said flying is just for planes and birds?" — that was the post from Indian megastar Sachin Tendulkar on X.
It came above a clip of Smith’s stunning diving catch to remove Eshan Malinga in the second ODI in Hamilton last week.
"My mum sent me that, so that was quite cool to see."
Smith has taken some decent catches in his time, but the Hamilton grab was a bit special.
"The lights at Seddon are quite low. The ball went up, and I didn’t know if I was going to get there. It sort of disappeared in the lights there for a bit, but then it popped back out.
"I had timed my run perfectly and I just thought I had to go and get off my feet."
Smith has been revelling in the chance to be a regular member of the Black Caps.
He reflected on being like an excited kid on the first day of school when he first started preparing with the national squad a few months ago.
"There’s a lot of experience in this group, especially in the test squad. I rocked up to the nets and I was bowling to Kane Williamson, Rachin Ravindra, Tom Latham every day.
"You can’t take those things for granted.
"Tim Southee is a guy I’ve looked up to my whole life, and to play alongside him was amazing."
