West Indies all-rounder Andre Russell announced his retirement from international cricket on Wednesday. He will make his final appearance in the West Indies jersey during the upcoming T20I series against Australia at home.
The development came shortly after Russell was picked for the five-match white-ball series at home against the Aussies, which will begin on Sunday. The 37-year-old will play the opening two matches of the contest, on July 20 and 22, at Sabina Park in Jamaica, his home ground, before drawing curtains on his international career.
West Indies confirmed that Russell's inclusion was purely based on "performance merit, as he remains one of the most impactful T20 players in world cricket."
The dynamic Jamaican all-rounder expressed his gratitude and pride in representing the West Indies, calling it an honour to wear the maroon for over a decade.
He said: “Words cannot explain what it meant. To represent the West Indies has been one of the proudest achievements in my life. When I was a kid, I did not expect to get to this level, but the more you start to play and get to love the sport, you realize what you can achieve. This inspired me to become better because I wanted to leave a mark in the maroon colours and become an inspiration to others.”
He also opened up on being handed the rare opportunity to play his final international game in front of his home crowd.
“I love playing for the West Indies and I love playing at home in front of my family and friends where I get to showcase my talent and produce more high-quality performances. I want to finish my international career on a high while being a role model for the next generation of cricketers coming out of the Caribbean.”
Russell is the second big-name player from West Indies to quit international cricket after Nicholas Pooran, who had made the announcement just two months back. Hence, it comes as another major set back for West Indies with just seven months left before the next T20 Word Cup, which will begin in February 2026 in India and Sri Lanka.
The 37-year-old has been a T20-only player since 2019 and has a total of 84 appearances in the format, during which he won the T20 World Cup in 2012, and then again in 2016. He has also appeared in 56 ODIs for West Indies and a solitary Test.
Russell will be replaced by Matthew Forde for the Warner Park leg of the series.
Source: Hindustan Times