Barbados-Born Phil Salt Looks to Crown England’s T20 World Cup Glory on the Island that Made Him
Phil Salt, the hard-hitting English opener, is set to spearhead his country’s top-order in the upcoming ICC Men’s T20 World Cup. The 27-year-old’s connection to Barbados runs deep, as he moved to the idyllic Caribbean island at the age of 10 and resided there for the next five years before returning to the UK.
Salt, who was present in Barbados during England’s T20 World Cup triumph in 2010, now has the opportunity to cap off a full-circle title tilt with his national team. Alongside teammates Chris Jordan and Jofra Archer, Salt is one of the few England players with first-hand experience of the Caribbean conditions.
“Everything about the place suits me,” Salt told the media ahead of England’s tournament opener against Scotland. “It’s pretty laid back, a lot of cricket, a lot of sport, and I’ve still got a lot of friends on the island.”
The hard-hitting opener was eligible to play for either England or the West Indies during his formative years, but his unwavering commitment to the Three Lions has paid dividends. Salt was a member of England’s T20 World Cup-winning team in 2022 and became the first English player to smash back-to-back T20I centuries, coincidentally against the West Indies.
Despite witnessing England’s success in Barbados 14 years ago, Salt never imagined he would one day represent his country on the same soil. “I think every kid in the crowd would have gone, that’s going to be me one day, or I’d like that to be me one day, but you never believe it,” he said.
England’s Title Defence
As England’s title defence gets underway, Salt is determined to leave his mark on the tournament, drawing inspiration from the likes of Craig Kieswetter and Chris Gayle. “I want to be the person winning more games for England,” he added.
While the final, like in 2010, is set to take place in Bridgetown, Salt is trying to take fate out of the equation for now. “There’s a bit of a way to go, but that’s absolutely the goal,” he said. “We’re here to win.”
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