From North Wales to Barbados: Phil Salt's journey to Welsh Fire captaincy

Phil Salt, the explosive England T20 opener, has been named captain of Welsh Fire for the upcoming Hundred campaign. The 29-year-old will lead a squad featuring former England captain Joe Root and Test batter Chris Woakes, with the competition set to begin on 22 July against Southern Brave.

Born in Bodelwyddan, North Wales, and raised in St Asaph until the age of 11, Salt moved to Barbados with his family before returning to the UK to pursue cricket. Despite spending nearly two decades away, he remains deeply connected to his Welsh roots. 'I always felt Welsh. 100%,' he said.

Salt has been a key figure in England's white-ball setup since his debut in 2021, and he is the leading run-scorer in The Hundred history with 1,138 runs. He recently played a starring role in England's 4-0 T20 series win over India, top-scoring with 70 in the third match.

A proud Welshman in an England shirt

• Salt was born in Bodelwyddan, North Wales, to a Welsh mother.
• He moved to Barbados at age 11 due to his father's job.
• He is the top men's scorer in The Hundred since its inception in 2021.
• Salt became the first Welsh-born player to represent England since Simon Jones in 2005.
• As a child, he played football for Denbigh Town and Rhyl before focusing on cricket.

Salt acknowledged the unusual situation of representing England while feeling Welsh, noting his mother's initial discomfort. 'Being a proud Welshman, but obviously representing England... sometimes it's a bit of a grey area,' he said. Nonetheless, he is fully committed to leading Welsh Fire as they aim for success in The Hundred.

Welsh Fire begin their campaign with a double-header against Southern Brave on 22 July. With Salt at the helm and a strong squad around him, the team will look to improve on last year's performance and challenge for the title.