England opener Phil Salt lauded the team's assistant coach, Kieron Pollard, after the defending champions defeated West Indies by eight wickets in their first Super 8 match of the ongoing T20 World Cup 2024.
Salt played a blistering knock, scoring 87 off 47 deliveries seven fours and five sixes and he was greatly supported by Jonny Bairstow’s 48 on 26 balls as England recorded a thumping win.
Talking after the match, Salt credited Pollard saying that he has brought a lot to the team.
"Pollard's brought a lot to the group but I'd say that the most valuable thing I've taken so far (from him) is constructing that run chase," Salt told the reporters. "We've spoken a lot about taking eights from one side to take twelves from the other and that's 200 [runs]."
"It sounds so simple to say it but putting that into action there wasn't really. After a point in time out there, I knew I slowed down. I knew I hadn't got much strike but I knew that If I just get through that period, then we're going to be in a good position and I can have a good dip, a good calculated risk at the seamers."
He was asked whether England’s win against West Indies reminded the players and fans of the T20 World Cup 2022 which they won by beating Pakistan in the final to which he replied he cannot compare but the team is in the right direction.
“I don't know if you can compare the two but it's definitely the first step in that direction,” Salt added. "I've already said, in tournament play, you need a bit of luck at the right time, and you need to build your momentum and confidence, and I feel like that's the first step in the right direction.
"I think firstly, it's a bit of confidence - you're going to get bored of me saying confidence and momentum, but it's a bit of confidence playing on this ground, knowing the conditions, knowing the dimensions, the wind, everything like that. Getting that momentum, that's how I see tournament cricket. The good sides that I've played in have all sort of come to the peak and at the right time.”
- Phil Salt
