Phil Salt signed by Adelaide Strikers for this winter's Big Bash

Australian Big Bash League outfit Adelaide Strikers have completed their roster for the forthcoming ninth edition of the tournament by signing Sussex's explosive opening batsman Phil Salt.

Phil is the Strikers’ second overseas player alongside his Sussex teammate and Afghanistan leg-spinner Rashid Khan. The 23-year-old was Sussex Sharks' leading run-scorer in this year's Vitality Blast, blasting 406 runs from his 13 innings at a strike-rate of over 160 runs per hundred balls faced. 

Sussex and Strikers head coach Jason Gillespie gave this assessment of his latest signing: “We are incredibly excited to have signed Phil who has showed real signs of promise and has performed well for the Sharks in the Blast."

“He’s beyond excited to get started, obviously we have had (Alex) Carey over here in England and Phil has been chatting to him non-stop about how it’s going to work, when he can come out to Adelaide and meet everyone and get stuck in.”

Salt spent some time in 2018 with Premier Cricket club Adelaide University and in the Darren Lehmann Academy, and he said that is was an easy decision for him to return to the city in Strikers blue.

“I had a stint in Adelaide playing for Adelaide University and loved it, I made some really good friends who I’m looking forward to seeing again,” he said.

“I love working with Diz, Rash and Alex, it’s so key when you’re trying to build a great environment to have guys who you know are going to put 100% in at all times and give everything they’ve got to the cause. I’ve worked really well with Dizz over the course of my career so far and hope that we can be even more successful here at the Strikers.

“The squad that we have is more than good enough to challenge for the title; we’ve got some great players who have plenty about them, not only cricket-wise but in character also and that’s so important in a team.”

The Strikers begin their season away to the Sydney Thunder on Saturday 21st December.