Phil Salt stated that England aims to draw motivation from their recent defeat to West Indies and deliver their best performance in Saturday’s important Group C match against Scotland in Kolkata. England lost by 30 runs to West Indies at Wankhede Stadium on Wednesday, leaving them needing wins to advance in the group stage.
Scotland enters the match with renewed confidence after defeating Italy, bouncing back from their own loss to West Indies. In their T20 World Cup victories in 2010 and 2022, they overcame early challenges to claim the trophy.
Salt, who played in both the semi-final and final of the 2022 tournament, emphasized that the team believes it can peak at the right time. To secure their spot in the Super Eights, England needs to beat both Scotland and Italy, and they are determined to respond strongly to keep their campaign alive.
“That’s the mark of all good teams and athletes. When your back is against the wall, you bring out your best version. We did that in 2022, and we’ll look to do it again. It’s simple: we need to focus on our processes and bring our best selves,” said Salt as quoted by ESPNcricinfo.
England also remembers a tense match against Scotland at the 2024 T20 World Cup in Barbados, where Scotland reached 90 without loss before rain disrupted the game. This remains their only T20I encounter, and Salt stressed that England respects Scotland and will not underestimate them.
“I know many of their players well. I’ve watched a lot of their Cricket and played against them in various leagues. They’re a strong side with a good bowling attack and experience. They will put up a good fight,” Salt stated.
Salt scored a quick 30 runs off 14 balls in the last match before being dismissed. He aims to maintain his aggressive approach and put pressure on bowlers from the start. He also noted that adaptability is key to his development as a T20 player, reflecting on his time with Kolkata Knight Riders during the IPL.
“During my time here, GG [Gautam Gambhir] advised me to be smart rather than just blocking early balls. This guidance helped me improve as a player, focusing on high-percentage shots and where bowlers might miss,” Salt explained.
“Having analyzed all the data and footage, I feel confident about what’s coming at me. While they may bowl differently, I prepare based on the percentages, to train effectively and aim to repeat my successful approach in the game,” he concluded.
