The curious case of André Russell

THE EDITOR, Sir:

ANDRE RUSSELL is one of the most-sought-after T20 cricketers on the circuit. He performs consistently for each team he represents and is a match winner in the Indian Premier League, Australian Big Bash League, and the Caribbean Premier League, among others.

West Indies recently lost the three-match T20 series against India 3-0 and are currently engaged in a three-match ODI series. Russell was initially named in the T20 squad but withdrew because of lack of fitness. However, after withdrawing, he turned out for the Vancouver Knights in the Canada Global T20 League, a decision that raised many eyebrows.

However, before sceptics could question his willingness to represent the West Indies in bilateral series, Cricket West Indies (CWI) hastily and publicly stated that the decision to withdraw from the West Indies squad and to play in the Canada Global T20 was part of his rehabilitation.

INSPIRING THE TEAM

So while West Indies are currently struggling against India, ‘Dre Russ’ has been busy inspiring his T20 team all the way to the finals where they lost, despite his miraculous performance. He took 4 for 29 will the ball and made 46 from 20 balls, taking the match to the Super Over.

After these performances, we are left to ponder if he is back to full fitness, or is it that his rehabilitation is on track? This is one that CWI definitely needs to answer.

With a troubled knee, Russell may never be 100 per cent fit, but if he is able to represent franchises in T20 leagues across the world, I see no reason why he cannot represent the West Indies.