Phil Salt says he will put country before potential franchise riches in a bid to win back his place in England’s white-ball plans - and gatecrash Ben Stokes’s Test side.
Salt enjoyed something of an international breakthrough in 2022, making a maiden ODI hundred in the summer’s series against the Netherlands and then forcing his way into England’s T20 World Cup squad, playing in both the semi-final and final of that success following an injury to Dawid Malan.
Since a middling tour of Bangladesh in March, however, the 27-year-old appears to have slipped down the pecking order. While making England’s 50-over World Cup squad always looked a tall order with the likes of Ben Stokes, Jonny Bairstow and Joe Root returning to the ranks, Salt was also left out of the recent T20 series against New Zealand, where Surrey’s Will Jacks was instead given a prolonged run at the top of the order. Only now, as part of a second-string ODI side facing Ireland, is he set for his first England outing of the summer.
“I was disappointed, yeah,” Salt said, of missing out on the New Zealand T20s. “I can’t lie to you. Playing for England is where I want to be, and it’s where I see myself.
“I had a couple of good sit-downs with [Matthew] Motty and Jos [Buttler] gave us a call. I think it’s just a case of recent form. I know, being honest with you, I had a good IPL, but I didn’t do myself justice when I came back for the Blast. What that was down to, I’m not too certain, but there was just a little shift around in the pecking order between myself and Jacksy this time.”
Salt had been due to open the batting in Wednesday’s washed-out opener against Ireland in Leeds and will instead hope to make an impression when the series moves on to Nottingham on Saturday.
Beyond that, another winter of franchise opportunities lies ahead: Salt has become a regular on the circuit, enjoying past success in Australia’s Big Bash League and the Pakistan Super League, and earlier this year made debuts in both the IPL and South Africa’s new SA20 league.
However, he also has a firm eye on the white-ball tour to the West Indies before Christmas, with a changing of the guard expected to follow the World Cup, which could prove something of a last hurrah for a number of England’s established stars.
“I’d like to think so, yeah,” said Salt, when asked whether he could be part of a regeneration. “I’d like to think there’s a lot of guys in, in my position also thinking the same thing. As you can see from this squad and the guys who’ve been in and out of the first-team squads throughout this summer, there’s no lack of strength in depth.
“Playing for England is a priority. There’s a lot of franchise opportunities out there, but every game I can get in an England shirt, I want to take the opportunity with both hands.”
That includes, should one arrive, in Test cricket. Salt has made his name as a white-ball specialist but averages 43 in the County Championship since signing for Lancashire ahead of last summer and believes he could thrive in the Bazball era.
“Absolutely, I see myself playing all formats,” he added. “I really enjoyed going back to Lancashire this year and playing four-day cricket.
“The way that the Test team’s playing at the moment, I do see myself fitting in there somewhere in the future.”
While Salt travelled to Bangladesh earlier this year, several other players without England central contracts turned down call-ups in order to fulfil more lucrative franchise gigs, which pay significantly more than the match and touring fees paid by the ECB.
Such dilemmas are becoming more and more common, with Mark Wood recently admitting he could turn down a central contract in order keep his franchise options open. The quick has a deal worth around £500,000 to play in the UAE T20 League in January that would rule him out of part of the Test tour to India.
England are showing increasing flexibility around player availability, particularly with those like 33-year-old Wood, who are understandably keen to maximise their earnings in the final years of their career. Salt, though, has time on his side.
“Some people are at the stage of career where they are prioritising, earning money and securing their future and their family’s future,” Salt said.
“I’m a bit luckier in the position that I’m in where I’ve got time to make these calls and declare what I want to do. Right now, I just want to play as many games as I can for England.
“But there’s no doubt if I play as long as I want to, there will be a time where, like with every other professional cricketer, you’ve got that challenge where you’ve got to make decisions, right, for yourself? It’s a hell of a question isn’t it, really.”
