Phil Salt intends to do ‘something very special’ to get a place in World Cup squad

Phil Salt has been impressive with his batting in white-ball cricket, since making his domestic debut in 2016. 

The consistency in tournaments like Royal London One Day Cup and T20 Blast has helped him finally play for England since 2021. 

In limited opportunities, Salt has impressed with his solid ball striking capabilities. In the absence of experienced players like Jonny Bairstow and Joe Root at the top-order, he has opened with Jason Roy in the first fixture of the ongoing bilateral ODI series against Netherlands. 

The 25-year-old was in terrific form and he played a knock of 122 off 93 balls, comprising 14 fours and three sixes. He was certainly a key force behind the England team posting their highest-ever total of 498 in 50-overs format. 

In a recent interview, Salt has claimed that he needs to keep performing and has to grab every opportunity to retain his place in the white-ball England squad. 

"Just keep performing," he said, speaking to Sky Sports on the morning of the second ODI. "Every opportunity I get I’ve got to take with both hands.”

The talented batter thinks it will take something special from him to find a spot in the England World Cup 2023 squad, when the likes of Bairstow, Root, and Ben Stokes join the team. 

"It’s very clear with the side as world champions you’re going to have to do something very special to knock a man out of possession of a spot, so it’s very important not to look too far ahead and just maintain what you’re doing on a daily basis.”

Salt added that he hopes to contribute for England for as many games as possible, be it as a batsman or a wicket-keeper. 

"It’s a side stacked with quality all the way through. I want to play as many games as I can for England, whether it’s just batting or keeping as well. If you want to keep a place in this side, you have to perform for an extended period of time."

The 25-year-old cricketer also claimed that he loves being a part of the Eoin Morgan-led side. 

He said, "It’s very similar. We want to be clinical and we want to be ruthless.

"Under [Eoin Morgan], it’s very simple how we go about our cricket and how we play, and I love being [here]." he concluded.