NEWS
Follow UsEngland’s Phil Salt, who produced a Player of the Match performance against West Indies on June 19 (Wednesday), has opened up on the influence of Kieron Pollard and how the legendary finisher has helped him understand the art of chasing targets better.
Pollard, two-time T20 World Cup winner with West Indies, who is widely regarded as one of the greatest finishers of all time, is currently with the England side for this T20WC as an assistant coach.
Salt, on the back of his unbeaten 87, revealed how Pollard’s advice helped him and the entire team simplify their plans while chasing targets.
“Pollard's brought a lot to the group but I'd say the most valuable thing I've taken so far is constructing that run chase,” Salt said at the press conference after the West Indies game.
“We've spoken a lot about taking eights from one side to take twelves from the other and that's 200. So, it's really simple, it sounds so simple to say it but it’s about putting it into action.
“I knew that If I got through that [slow] period, then we were going to be in a good position and I can have a good dip, a good calculated risk at the seamers.”
Salt finished with a strike rate of 185, but this was not a ‘normal’ Salt innings by any means. The hard-hitting opener took 38 balls to bring up his fifty, and only put his foot on the gas after crossing fifty. The right-hander moving from a strike rate of 132 to 185 in the space of 10 balls was all thanks to his onslaught on Romario Shepherd, against whom he took 30 runs in a single over.
Was the assault on Shepherd a pre-planned, calculated one?
“In the back of my head I did [plan it in advance],” Salt said of the 30-run Shepherd over.
“I didn't vocalise it to Johnny, I didn't want him to say no - but yeah, I feel like they've got such good spinners and they've bowled really well through the middle. So I felt like the first sniff I got, I had to sort of take that chance.”
But even when Salt was batting on 49* off 37 at one point, England were still going at nearly 10 an over thanks to Bairstow, who made a scorching start. The Yorkshireman picked up from where he left against Namibia and raced to 46 off his first 21 balls.
Salt revealed that it was a conscious tactic for him to play anchor and let the likes of Moeen Ali and Bairstow go for it.
“It was more about me batting through, once Jos got out, I was always going to sort of play the anchor role, especially when we sent Moeen as the lefty.
“I think it was about me just batting through that period and waiting for my time to strike and obviously Shepard coming back from that end was my time to pull the trigger,” he revealed.
From the brink of elimination, England are now all of a sudden looking like a very dangerous side. With a win over South Africa on June 21 (Friday), they will have one foot in the semis, and will then be effectively two wins away from defending the T20WC title.
Early days, but Salt believes this victory will do a world of good for the Three Lions.
“It's been a very stop start for us. We had a hiccup against Australia and then, the rain out against Scotland. It's been a real topsy-turvy start. It didn't really feel like we played much cricket up to this point.
“But, yes, I feel like in tournament cricket, you need a bit of confidence and momentum at the right time and you need it to keep building. So, to get a win against the hosts tonight gives us the first push in that direction.”
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