Linsey Smith: From self-doubt to World Cup spotlight

When Linsey Smith ran in to bowl the second over of England's World Cup opener in Guwahati on Friday, few outside her own dressing room would have imagined the impact she was about to make. 

But for Smith, who has lived through years of waiting, doubt and personal struggle, the moment was more than just about wickets -- it was about redemption.

With her very first delivery, the 30-year-old left-arm spinner dismissed South Africa's captain Laura Wolvaardt, snaring a sharp return catch. 

In her next two overs she knocked over Tazmin Brits and Marizanne Kapp -- the in-form opener and South Africa's superstar allrounder --each undone by the subtle drift and dip she has honed over years of perseverance. Three overs, three wickets, and suddenly the World Cup had a new headline act.

It was only Smith's fifth ODI. Remarkably, she had made her England debut seven years ago at the 2018 T20 World Cup, but then disappeared from the scene, lost in a fog of self-doubt. 

"I was embarrassed to wear an England shirt," she told The Telegraph last year, recalling the emptiness she felt in her first international stint. "Playing for England is meant to be the best thing on earth, whereas I was in a pretty dark place. If something did not feel 100 per cent right, it would derail me."

By 2019, she was questioning whether she wanted to play cricket at all. "I just thought, 'I do not know if I want to be on the cricket pitch'," she admitted, reflecting on her lowest point during an England Academy series against Australia A.

But instead of walking away, Smith chose to confront her struggles. She stepped back from the England set-up, rebuilt her confidence, and found a way to play the game with joy again. When she finally returned in March 2024, she was a different cricketer and, perhaps more importantly, a different person.

Her transformation showed almost immediately. On her ODI debut against West Indies earlier this year, she claimed a five-wicket haul. At the T20 World Cup in 2024, she bowled a match-turning spell of 2-11 against Bangladesh and reflected afterwards: "Ya, took a bit of time away from the England setup, which I think just helped me grow and do a lot of self-reflection and think about how I wanted to be and how I wanted to play the game."

Now, on the grandest stage of all, Smith has delivered a spell that encapsulates that journey -- fearless, skillful, and brimming with the joy she once lost.

"I only found out yesterday that I was opening the bowling and I was excited for the challenge. To get that start was very special," she said in Guwahati, her voice carrying the calm assurance of someone who has fought hard to belong.

For England, her three-wicket burst set up a dominant victory as they flexed their muscles with a ruthless 10-wicket demolition of South Africa. 

For Smith, it was something far more personal: a reminder that sometimes the longest journeys are the most rewarding.