Jamie Smith wants to use the Hundred to reignite his England white-ball career – and plans to ensure his Test average heads back in the right direction after a difficult few months in which both his batting and his wicketkeeping have been under scrutiny.Smith has not played any limited-overs international cricket since struggling in New Zealand before the Ashes, while he has averaged just 21 in Tests since his stunning double of 184 not out and 88 against India at Edgbaston in July 2025.But he regards his move to Southern Brave, his third Hundred franchise in three years, as a chance both for a fresh start and to impress England white-ball coach Brendon McCullum, sacked as Test coach but in the pink after T20 and ODI series wins over India.‘My goals have always been to play three formats for England,’ Smith tells Daily Mail Sport. ‘I’ve had a little taste of it, and the Hundred is always a great opportunity to go out and do well against some of the best players in the world and use it as a springboard.’Smith has played only five T20s, mainly because England have a settled and destructive opening pair in Phil Salt and Jos Buttler. But his 19 ODIs have produced just three fifties and an average of 21.‘It just wasn’t consistent enough,’ he says. ‘I had a couple of decent enough innings, but didn’t make them count. I can’t complain with the opportunity I was given. It’s trying to learn from that.’ Jamie Smith endured a difficult Ashes Down Under last winter, in a series he admits was 'disheartening' But the wicketkeeper is intent on repaying England's faith in him, and rediscovering his best formBut his main goal, ahead of next month’s three-match series against Pakistan, is to repay the selectors’ faith after they moved him above Ben Stokes up to No 6 in the Test side against New Zealand.He describes his series as ‘disjointed’, having made a crucial 39 in a low-scoring first Test at Lord’s before missing the second at the Oval because of paternity leave. In the decider at Trent Bridge, his well-paced second-innings 60 came too late to save England as the Bazball era ended in smoke and flames. But he appreciated his promotion.‘It was a confidence-booster, especially after a disappointing Ashes,’ he says. ‘I felt like every time I was walking out to the middle, I was seeing my average drop. When you’re not playing well, it’s quite disheartening.‘That’s something I’d be looking to improve on, trying to push that up as much as possible. There’s no reason why I can’t go to No 6 and have success. I know it’d be a good effort to go back to the standards I set at the start. But if I can go a little bit further towards pushing it back in the right direction, that’d be nice.’Smith, whose average has slipped from 58 after that Edgbaston Test to just under 40, faced criticism during the Ashes for his demeanour behind the stumps, especially from former England wicketkeeper Matt Prior, who felt he was too quiet.‘I understand people’s opinions,’ says Smith. ‘You want to do the best you can, but I think the thing for me is trying to put my own stamp on it. I don’t think I’d be changing too much.’