He won the Player of the Match award on his debut ODI game against England in 2023.
A young West Indian player revealed how a gifted bat and useful tips from a Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) star helped him prosper. He has been a pivotal member of the Knight Riders and played a crucial role in making them champions in 2024.
Matthew Forde, the bowling all-rounder of the West Indies, has great things to say about Andre Russell, the superstar of T20 cricket. In a chat with Sportskeeda, Forde revealed he’d love to follow in the footsteps of Russell.
“Obviously, Andre’s a great guy. He’s great to have a conversation with. He’s a legend of the T20 game, and he’s very accomplished at what he does so those are very big boots to fill, but I’d love to follow his footsteps and keep adding to my game.”
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Not only Forde, but any all-rounder in T20 cricket aspires to be anything close to Russell’s capabilities. He is among those genuine all-rounders who can contribute to a single department and remain in the side, for Russell is equally good with both bat and ball.
Recalling his time during the Bangladesh Premier League, where he played with Andre Russell, Matthew Forde revealed he gifted one of his bats to him. Further, he also gave a few useful tips to Forde.
“I remember we played the Bangladesh Premier League together. He picked up my bat and said ‘Fordey, these are your bats? No, you can’t be a power-hitter if these are your bats.’ And he actually gave me a bat and told me I needed to bat with probably two or three rubbers (rubber grips) because I used to bat with only one rubber (grip). I’ve done that, and it’s been working for me.”
Matthew Forde has had a sensational start to his international career, for he won the Player of the Match award on his debut ODI game against England in 2023. He took three wickets while conceding only 29 runs in his 8-over spell, playing a crucial role in restricting England to a low total in the first innings.
The talent is palpable, and Forde will look to bring more consistency to his game. With his dual value, Forde can become an asset for the West Indies across white-ball formats by contributing heavily with both bat and ball.
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