Phil Salt eager to cement spot in England team after departure of Stokes and Morgan

Phil Salt is set to get first shot at replacing Ben Stokes in England's one-day side, slotting in behind an opening partnership that changed the way he played the game.

Stokes's retirement from the 50-over format leaves a huge hole in the team, and one that no rookie could possibly hope to fill given his all-round abilities and on-field aura.

But his departure, so soon after that of World Cup-winning captain Eoin Morgan, does open up opportunities for fresh blood in a side that was once viewed as the hardest to break into in cricket.

Salt is in pole position to step in against South Africa on Friday, a must-win clash at his home ground of Old Trafford, and is eager to prove himself worthy of the chance.

"We've lost a couple of leaders in the dressing room, Stokesy the other day and Morgs retiring, and it does have an impact. But we have to keep moving forward," said Salt.

"We have all the leaders and senior players in the dressing room we need. And it's an opportunity for people such as myself, lads that have been around it and played bits and pieces but not had a solid run.

"I love playing at Old Trafford and, to be quite honest, I've just got to take this opportunity now with both hands. I've been on the fringes for a while and I want to get in there and show people what I can do."

BEN STOKES'S BEST ODI MOMENTS: Stokes during the presentation ceremony after helping England win the World Cup final against New Zealand at Lord's on July 14, 2019. AP

The 25-year-old made his ODI debut under Stokes's captaincy last summer, in a scratch squad put together at the last minute following a Covid outbreak. He returned to the fold for the recent trip to the Netherlands and gave a strong account of himself in Matthew Mott's first