West Indies supporters have probably become accustomed to losing players to England. Jofra Archer was an integral part of England's World Cup squad, while Chris Jordan has been an integral member of the T20 team for many years.
But Phil Salt could also represent the West Indies. Although he was born in Wales, Salt's family moved to Barbados at the age of 10. He later represented the Barbados Under-15 side and was rumored to be close to selection for the Under-19s before making his future for Sussex.
So when Salt scored a maiden ODI half-century in Saturday's low-scoring win over Pakistan, few in Barbados could be forgiven for some regret on another that went away.
"Yes, I was available for selection for the Barbados Under-19 team," Salt said. "I qualified through citizenship. I stayed there for X years, which made me qualified. I played under-15, but never further.
"I was born in North Wales but my father was a property developer there [in the Caribbean]. I spent six years there and then came to the UK to go to boarding school. I was in school in Surrey and kind of on the edge of Surrey But the Sussexes saw me play and gave me a chance.
"I wasn't selected [for Barbados Under-19s]. But even if I was selected, I was going to live in England and play second-team cricket for Sussex. I thought [of a career] too long." Age was [in England] and I saw a way from the start with the Sussexes, so that I could establish myself as the cricketer I wanted to be."
Perhaps the most impressive aspect of Salt's innings at Lord's was his selflessness. England had lost David Malan and Jack Crawley to ducks and Salt were playing their second ODI. But instead of playing defensively and attempting to score, he maintained the policy of aggression that has typified England's white-ball cricket under Eoin Morgan.
"You know, coming in, you have to try to play that role as best you can," he said. "You look at the way England have played over the years with Jason Roy and Jonny Bairstow at the top. That's what they do and that's why they're putting England in such a good position in the game.
"There was a moment when I questioned what to do next: whether to strengthen the game or go ahead and give us impetus back. From the very beginning, coming to the England set-up, it's something that Morgan It has always been clear: we take the game forward; we make positive choices. So it was quite easy to make this decision from the words I heard last time in England's cap.
"It's the blueprint for being so successful in 50-over cricket. It's very simple: My job is to blow up the boys. That doesn't mean it's all big shots: a good ball is still a good ball and you have to It has to be played with respect. But if you find any width or length then I definitely want to jump on it."
While Salt credits the strength of county cricket for England's success, he also believes that the increased experience of franchise cricket has been important. Having played in the BBL, CPL and PSL, among others, he feels the experience of playing under pressure and contributes to helping English players adopt the standards required in international cricket, even in front of large crowds.
He said, 'This success speaks of the strength of county cricket. “I think even for a lot of boys, franchise opportunities overseas help. Not only playing in the highest standard of cricket that you see in franchise cricket, but big opportunities with big, noisy crowds like that. The high standard of cricket overseas and learning to play in those high-pressure environments puts you in a good position and I think that's what most of the boys in the team have done."
With Bairstow and Roy almost certain to return to the squad when they become available, Salt knows future opportunities may be scarce.
"I would love to play for England as much as I can," he said. "Obviously, we're the best side in the world. So, it's hard to break through. Any kind of plan is in my mind.
"But at the moment, for these three games, it's about taking every opportunity that I can with both hands. And it really is as easy as it gets. I won't look much further."