As he looks to lead England to consecutive victories, the world’s second-ranked T20I hitter has special meaning for this year’s T20 World Cup.
In 2010, Phil Salt was in Barbados to witness England’s victory in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup. There, he was residing.
The aggressive opener is back in the nation that gave him his start, hoping to complete a full circle title challenge with England.
Using his Caribbean experience—which only teammates Chris Jordan and Jofra Archer can truly identify to—Salt will lead the country’s top-order. Salt relocated to Barbados when he was ten years old and lived there for the following five years before moving back to the UK.
He may have played for the West Indies or England as a young player.
He has a close bond with Barbados.
Before England’s opening match of the tournament against Scotland on Tuesday, he told the reporters, “Everything about the place suits me.”
“Very relaxed, lots of sports, cricket, and I still have a lot of friends on the island.”
Salt was a member of the English squad that won the T20 World Cup in Melbourne two years ago. Towards the end of last year, he made history by being the first English player to smash consecutive T20I hundreds, both of which came against the West Indies.
And although Salt had seen England’s triumph firsthand fourteen years prior, it never had occurred to him to represent his nation.
He went on, “I watched England here, and they won it.”
“I believe that every child in the audience would have thought, ‘That will be me one day, or that’s what I’d like to be me one day, but you never believe it.'”
It’s amazing to be here wearing an England shirt and to have the chance to do something great in the upcoming month.
That day, I got to touch the prize.
“When I think back on that day, that’s the thing that always comes to mind.”
Inspired by players like Chris Gayle and Craig Kieswetter, the 27-year-old has risen to match-winning heights at the top of England’s batting order.
He continued, “As a child, I used to watch players on YouTube who hit the ball hard or kept and would just try to try and emulate them.”
“I want to be the one helping England win more games.”
Salt, albeit raised in Barbados, is attempting to remove fate from the picture for the time being.
Although England’s title defence is still early on, he is well aware that the final, as it was in 2010, will take place in Bridgetown.
That is the ultimate goal, he stated, but there is still some work to be done.
“We want to win here.”
