Russell urges Caribbean batsmen to emulate Kohli
ALL-ROUNDER SAYS PLAYERS MUST MAKE SCORING CENTURIES A HABIT
All-rounder Andre Russell wants fellow Caribbean batsmen to show the same hunger as Indian skipper Virat Kohli and score hundred after hundred to help the West Indies rediscover their past glory.
Speaking after a training session at the Robin Singh Sports Academy in Dubai, the Northern Warriors star said: “Halfcentury is a good start a batter would want to get. It’s good to raise your bat once, but to raise your bat twice and take your helmet off is more fun.
“When Virat Kohli gets a hundred it doesn’t satisfy him, he wants another hundred. That’s what we West Indians need to make as a habit. Try and get as many hundreds.”
The shorter format specialist is on a comeback trail after being sidelined by a knee injury. And the West Indian felt there was no better way to test his fitness than play in the ongoing T10 League, the shortest format of the game.
“These shorter format tournaments do not put too much stress on the knee. So it is a good tournament to assess the fitness and see what needs to be done moving forward,” he added.
The West Indian team fielded many newcomers during the recent tour of India and Russell, who missed the series, feels it is a good learning curve for the youngsters to prove their mettle.
Good experience
“Even though they didn’t win the series, some guys got good experience and good scores for moving forward in their career,” he said. “I think once they keep learning on the job, no matter what the result is. It’s all about learning while having bad games or having good games.”
Russell is one of the most feared all-rounders in the world as he has the capability
Russell is one of the most feared all-rounders in the world as he has the capability to single-handedly turn the match on its head.
to single-handedly turn the match on its head.
And now what? Russell said: “I want to raise the bar as high as possible, want to do what no one has ever done. Raising the bar and setting the bar is always good, like Christopher Gayle, who has lots of runs in T20.
“He still plays and gets lots of runs and keeps raising the bar. But I am far from that. At 30 I want to get over all the niggles and get my body strong and fit and try to do whatever it takes to stay fit.”