England opener eyes off ‘full circle’ title run in homecoming tournament

This year's T20 World Cup has special meaning for the world's No.2 ranked T20I batter as he attempts to help England to back-to-back titles.

Phil Salt was in Barbados to watch England win the ICC Men's T20 World Cup back in 2010. He was living there.

The hard-hitting opener returns to the country that helped make him, looking to cap off a full circle title tilt with England.

Salt will spearhead the nation’s top-order, leveraging Caribbean experience that only team-mates Chris Jordan and Jofra Archer can relate to – he moved to Barbados as a 10-year-old and resided on the island for the next five years, before returning to the UK.

As an emerging talent, he was eligible to play for either England or the West Indies.

His connection to Barbados runs deep.

“Everything about the place suits me,” he told the media ahead of England’s tournament opener against Scotland on Tuesday.

“Pretty laid back, a lot of cricket, a lot of sport and I've still got a lot of friends on the island.”

Salt was a part of England’s T20 World Cup winning team two years ago in Melbourne and, late last year, became the first English player to smash back-to-back T20I centuries – both coincidentally against the West Indies.

And despite witnessing England’s success first-hand 14 years ago, going on to represent his country wasn’t in any of Salt’s wildest dreams.

“I watched England here, watched them win it,” he continued.

“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.

“So now to be here in an England shirt, with the opportunity to do something special in the next month is incredible really.

“I got a touch of the trophy that day.

“That's the thing that always sticks with me when I think about that day.”

Idolising the likes of Craig Kieswetter and Chris Gayle has propelled the 27-year-old to match-winning heights at the top of England’s batting line-up.

“When I was a kid, anybody who hit the ball hard or kept, I'd watch them on YouTube and just try and try and emulate them,” he added.

“I want to be the person winning more games for England.”

Despite his Barbadian background, Salt is trying to take fate out of the equation, for now.

While England’s title defence is only just starting, he’s very aware the final, like in 2010, is in Bridgetown.

“There’s a bit of a way to go, but that’s absolutely the goal,” he said.

“We’re here to win.”