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If players who have just won one of the biggest prizes in cricket video-call you from the ground mid-celebrations, even though you had left the tournament before the knockout games, it speaks volumes of the value you added to their lives. That was Phil Salt for Kolkata Knight Riders in IPL 2024.
He came in as a replacement for the out-of-form Jason Roy and solved two of the Knight Riders' biggest problems in one swoosh: a) openers not getting off quick starts and batting long and b) available wicketkeepers not being good enough to make a case for starting every game.
His 435 runs at a strike rate of 182.01 at the top of the order was one of the most underrated aspects of Knight Riders' success. More importantly, how almost each of his teammate spoke about him in interviews or on social media after the tournament suggested their admiration of his character.
After offering the same and more to England, there's no one who deserved getting the opportunity to captain the national team for the upcoming three-match T20I series against Australia in Jos Buttler's injury-led absence more than him. Below, we detail why he's the perfect choice for the job:
#3 Consistent performer in T20Is cricket since England debut
The first condition for any good captaincy candidate is consistent performances in their primary skill and Salt double, triple-ticks that. He averages 35.40 in T20Is after 29 innings and has maintained a brilliant career strike-rate of 165.11.
His last outing for England was the 2024 T20 World Cup where he was one of the team's best performers. Outside the national team too, he has had pretty good campaigns in the IPL and The Hundred.
Thanks to his consistency in front of and behind the wickets, Salt is now one of the first names on an England playing 11 sheet, which can't be said about most other members for a side undergoing transition. Him getting the armband provides them of stability and reliability.
#2 Always fit + fits the team image under Brendon McCullum
Now, Salt doesn't have any captaincy experience. The most he was incharge was when Buttler had to pull out of the Hundred and Salt took over a confused-looking Manchester Originals and lost seven out of the eight games to finish second from the bottom.
That doesn't sound encouraging at all. However, Salt won't be playing with the Originals against Australia but one of the best T20 11s in the world.
His appointment also goes well with Brendon McCullum's appointment as the all-format coach of the team. Salt's unhindered hitting fits the bill of what McCullum would likely want his side to shape like and the coach would love asking his captain to set the tone at the top.
Secondly, Salt also fits the adage "availability is the greatest ability" well. He's hardly injured and plays mostly one format all around the world so whenever Buttler is unavailable for whatever reasons, including workload management, Salt can come in at anytime without any issues.
#1 Right age for a stopgap option
The second point connects into the third. Salt is a brilliant character and could be the right man to do the difficult and selfless role of a stop-gap captain.
He won't get a long run but England management seems to trust him to be okay with that. As they look to give Buttler another run till the next T20 World Cup, Salt could be the best deputy he can ask for.
For the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) as well, ODIs present the opportunity to get someone like Harry Brook into the leadership group because the next ODI World Cup is still three years away. But T20 World Cups will happen every two years, which is not enough time for Brook or anyone else to develop, especially with Buttler not around.
Salt is 28 years old and would know that he is better off being a free-flowing player than a full-time captain and would enjoy the limited time he gets at the top, while respecting the brand and the philosophies being established by McCullum and Buttler. At the same time, ECB would be able to ease Brook into ODIs before slowly giving him the reins of T20Is too.
