Cricket Salt unsure about England ODI recall despite star role against Ireland

HIL Salt produced another match-winning turn for England’s T20 side in Ireland but admitted he is in the dark about his prospects of earning an ODI recall.

- Rory DOLLARD

Salt was the star of the show in the series opener in Malahide in Dublin on Wednesday, crashing 89 off 46 balls to set up a four-wicket win for the visitors.

He pummelled four sixes and 10 fours to take the heat out of the chase, with the Irish scoring almost 10 an over to leave a target of 197. Just five days earlier he had nailed a remarkable 141 not out against South Africa.

Salt was dropped from the 50-over squad earlier this summer, with Jamie Smith preferred at the top of the order, and he has no idea if his free-scoring exploits in the shorter format will be enough to win him another chance.

Asked if there had been any discussions over his one-day place, he said: “Not many, to be honest. I can’t say much more than that.

“I was told to go out and play a certain way, be ultra aggressive and start in fifth gear, similar to T20. It’s not always that easy in one-day cricket but I tried my best. While trying to do that, I didn’t score the weight of runs which are required in 50-over cricket to hold a place.

“While I was disappointed, I sort of understood. I nailed my colours to the mast, that’s what the team wanted of me, and it didn’t quite work out.”

Salt’s position is much clearer when it comes to the 20-over game. Of England's eight T20 centuries, he has scored exactly half, and was within two big blows of becoming just the third batter ever to reach five.