The passion to represent West Indies hasn’t entirely diminished for allrounder Andre Russell, who says he would love to get back and help the side clinch the T20 World Cup later in the year. Russell says he wants to win another World Cup for the two-time champions Calypso Kings, stating his desire to make a comeback after a nine-month sabbatical.
The player previously turned out for West Indies at the T20 World Cup in UAE last November and has been plying his trade only in domestic white-ball leagues around the world.
The past couple of weeks have seen Russell’s commitment to play for the men in maroon fallen under heavy scrutiny again, with head coach Phil Simmons saying he can’t be “begging“ players to represent the West Indies at the highest level.
Disappointed to see a number of prominent stars missing from his team’s build-up towards the Australian World Cup, Simmons had publicly expressed his dismay and used the begging remark, which didn’t go down well with Russell.
The player took to Instagram and made a now-deleted post with a screengrab of an ESPNcricinfo piece that was titled on Simmons’ quote. In the caption, the veteran allrounder wrote:
“I know this was coming but am gonna stay quiet!“.
Angered over Simmons’ remarks, Russell indirectly suggested there is more to the matter than what meets the eye and that perhaps the team management hasn’t been in communication with him about his participation.
Having pledged to “stay quiet“ at the time, Russell finally opened up with his side of the story during an interaction with former Windies skipper Daren Sammy for Sky Sports at the sidelines of The Hundred men’s tournament in the UK, where he is playing for Manchester Originals.
“I’m going to be quiet. Bbecause at the end of the day, we had a discussion, and the discussion was very clear. So now, making me look bad, throwing me under the bus… I was expecting it. I’m going to stay quiet, Daren, to be honest,”
Russell said.
By making revelations on “very clear“ discussion with Simmons and the selectors, Russell indicated he had a plan and agreement with the decision-makers as far as his T20 World Cup selection is concerned. The cricketer suggested and claimed that Simmons and company are now backtracking from their word to him.
When Sammy asked him to clarify his stance on representing the West Indies again, Russell said he holds international cricket and playing for the region the closest to his heart.
“The maroon is all over. Honestly, I have two franchise hundreds and I wish those hundreds were actually playing for West Indies,”
he said.
Russell, however, defended the scenario of him playing in The Hundred at a time when the West Indies are struggling and finding it extremely difficult to iron out their plans and finalise a playing XI for the T20 World Cup Down Under. The 34-year-old said the team management and selectors must “respect my terms”, too, as he has only one playing career to maximise his earning potential and support his family.
“I always want to play and give back. But at the end of the day, if we are not agreeing on certain terms, your terms is my terms [sic], and they have to respect my terms as well.
At the end of the day, it is what it is. We have families and we have to make sure that we give our best opportunity while we have one career.”
“It’s not like I can start over again. I’m 34 and I want to win another World Cup – or two more – for West Indies because at the end of the day, I’m here now, and I’m just taking it day by day,”
Russell added.
