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Salt’s path home from Barbados to Welsh Fire captain
Phil Salt, the England T20 batter born in North Wales and raised largely in Barbados, is preparing to captain Welsh Fire's men's team in the upcoming Hundred season. The 29-year-old, who leads a side featuring former England captain Joe Root and ex-Test bowler Chris Woakes, says joining the Welsh team felt like "a no-brainer" given his strong sense of Welsh identity, despite having lived away from Wales for nearly two decades.
Salt is the competition's all-time leading men's run-scorer with 1,138 runs since The Hundred began in 2021, and enters the campaign in good form after starring for England in a 4-0 T20 series win over India, including a top score of 70 in the third match. Welsh Fire's campaign starts on 22 July with a men's and women's double header against Southern Brave, though both Fire teams finished bottom of the table in 2025. Salt also became the first Welshman to play for England since Simon Jones in 2005, and reveals his football background in Denbigh and Rhyl, plus his Welsh mother's mixed feelings about him representing England.
In short
- Phil Salt named Welsh Fire men's captain for The Hundred
- He's the competition's all-time top run-scorer, with 1,138 runs
- Welsh Fire's campaign opens 22 July against Southern Brave
Explained simply
Phil Salt is an England cricket player who was born in Wales but grew up in Barbados. He has now been appointed captain of Welsh Fire, a team competing in The Hundred, Britain's annual domestic cricket tournament, and says the role felt like a "no-brainer" given his strong Welsh identity.
Salt is one of England's most prolific T20 batters and holds the record for the most runs scored in The Hundred's history since the competition began in 2021. He is also a significant figure in Welsh cricket, having become the first Welshman to play for England in more than two decades.
Welsh Fire finished bottom of the table last season and will be seeking to improve. Salt will lead a squad featuring two former England players, Joe Root and Chris Woakes, as the team attempts to rebuild.
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