The second T20I game will be his last international outing for West Indies.
After a humiliating defeat 3-0 against Australia, the West Indies cricket board organised an emergency meeting to discuss the issue. A lot of people are chattering over the West Indies’ shameful loss; there is one more reason as to why West Indies cricket is at the bottom line when it comes to playing standards.
Many players are now choosing to take part in franchise leagues rather than playing for their country.
The latest blow transpired when star all-rounder Andre Russell announced that he will take his international retirement during the T20I series against Australia. The Kolkata Knight Riders player has been added to the West Indies’ T20I squad, which will lock horns with Australia in a five-match series.
The second T20I game will be his last international outing for West Indies. His move clearly stated that he is more focused on playing in the global leagues across the world.
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Russell, who won the T20 World Cup in 2012 and 2016, has played 84 games in the shortest format, scoring three fifties and taking 61 wickets. The 37-year-old, who played only one test match, also featured in 56 One-Day Internationals, taking 70 wickets alongside amassing 1034 runs.
Former West Indies batter Brian Lara also spoke about the same and revealed the reason as to why these players are retiring from International cricket.
“You have a lot of guys who are deciding on what to do with their careers. You have your aggressive players like Pooran, who retired at 29. And honestly, it’s pretty clear why they did. There are five or six leagues around the world, and they’re able to make a substantial amount of money playing in them,” Brian Lara spoke while taking part in ‘Stick to Cricket’ podcast organised by former England players Phil Tuffnell, David Llyod, Michael Vaughan, and Alastair Cook.
The former left-hand batter reckoned that the board had done nothing to encourage players to stay committed to the national team. He also gave a reference to boards like England, Australia, and India, who have done a lot for their players, and highlighted the West Indies Cricket Board’s inability.
“I have no problem with that. The truth is, I don’t think the West Indies Cricket Board or the administration has done anything meaningful to keep players loyal to West Indies cricket, unlike what boards in countries like England, Australia, or even India have done,” he added.
Earlier, star batter Nicholas Pooran announced his retirement at the age of just 29. The left-hand batter made his international debut for the West Indies back in 2016 and has scored 2275 runs in a total of 106 T20I matches.
Pooran has also taken part in 61 ODIs for West Indies, making 1983 runs at an average of 39.7. Citing the fact that the T20 World Cup 2026 is just eight months away, the retirements of Russell and Pooran are a massive setback for the 2016 winners.
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