Russell: West Indies comes first

ANDRE Russell attempted to clear the air on why he is playing in the Lanka Premier League (LPL) and not representing the West Indies in New Zealand. According to Russell, his efforts to play for West Indies did not materialise and, he wanted to be fully fit to represent the region.

On October 19, Russell was selected by the Colombo Kings in round two of the LPL draft. The LPL ends in Sri Lanka on Wednesday.

West Indies played New Zealand in a three-match T20 series from November 27 to 30.

Russell’s name appearing among the LPL draft picks may have raised eyebrows. Speaking to journalists on Zoom on October 16, Cricket West Indies lead selector Roger Harper said Russell opted not to tour New Zealand because he wanted “to clear his head” and he was “going from one lockdown (tournament) to another.”

After playing in the Hero Caribbean Premier League (CPL) T20 tournament in August/September, Russell travelled to United Arab Emirates for the Indian Premier League (IPL), which ended on November 10.

On Tuesday, speaking on the SportsMax Zone television programme, Russell said playing for West Indies is always a priority.

“Playing for West Indies comes first for me and the energy and effort that I put out playing for West Indies I wouldn’t do it playing anywhere else and sometimes people don’t understand what a player like myself goes through with niggles and all of those things. They are just going to judge and it is easy for them to judge.”

Russell said Harper contacted him during the IPL, but before that West Indies T20 captain Kieron Pollard reached out to him to find out if he was available for New Zealand.

Russell said he was willing to go to New Zealand but was not in the frame of mind.

“I said, ‘Yeah man I would want to come but right now Polly (Pollard) my head space is messed up. I am struggling, I am not getting no runs.’ As a player to another player he will understand what I am going through.”

Russell said he was in a bubble in Trinidad during the CPL for over a month then travelled to the United Arab Emirates for the IPL for a two-month bubble.

In a bubble, players are not free to sightsee or go outside their hotel for a meal.

The players just leave the hotel for training and matches during the tournament.

Russell also told Harper during the IPL that he was not in the frame of mind to represent the West Indies.

The Jamaican power hitter said he did not want to represent West Indies and be a liability on the team.

“As a big player the team depending on you and all of that, it’s pressure. I was saying, ‘No I can’t go to New Zealand like this. I need to at least take a break from cricket, get out the bubble. After IPL go Dubai, go out (and) just loosen myself a bit, clear my head.’”

Russell said after speaking to West Indies players Shimron Hetmyer and Keemo Paul he learned that after the mandatory 14-day quarantine on arrival in New Zealand the West Indies players were allowed to move around.

“I was like, ‘Really I did not know that.’”

On hearing the news that he would not be confined to his hotel room Russell contacted Harper in an effort to earn selection for the New Zealand series.

“I reached out to the chairman and I said, ‘Sir I know a week or two weeks ago I said I was not available, (but) I am available. I want to go around my Caribbean guys. I know I would maybe be better off in that space.”

He was informed by Harper that changes to the squad can’t be made, which Russell said he understood but at the same time was disappointed he could not travel to New Zealand.

Russell said he is always honoured when he is selected to represent West Indies. “I know I am not irreplaceable because if you get injured today, next week or if you are struggling another player can easily take your game so I don’t consider myself the best in the Caribbean or nothing like that.”

The Jamaican said he picked up a hamstring injury in the IPL, so even if he decided to accept the offer to represent West Indies he would not have been able to play.

Russell said after representing Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the IPL he got the opportunity for recreational activities in the UAE which he said helped him feel a sense of normalcy after living in a bubble.

He initially turned down the opportunity to play in the LPL because of the injury, but Kings captain Angelo Matthews contacted Russell encouraging him to play just as a batsman.

Russell said that he only decided to accept the offer to play in the LPL when he found out it was too late for the West Indies selectors to make changes to the squad for the New Zealand tour.

He wanted to be fully fit for West Indies. “When you playing for your country you want to make sure that the body is 100 per cent,” Russell said.

KKR are trying to support Russell in his rehabilitation as CEO managing director of the franchise Venky Mysore has arranged for him to travel to Texas in the US.

There Russell will have a rehabilitation stint at the training facility of American football team Dallas Cowboys.