Russell announces international cricket retirement
The Jamaican who is a two-time world champion, having been a part of the ICC Men's T20 World Cup winning squads in 2012 and 2016, will play his last two international matches on 20 and 22 July at his homeground in Sabina Park.
Russell was thankful to have represented the West Indies and expressed his pride in donning the maroon jersey for more than a decade.
'Words cannot explain what it meant. To represent the West Indies has been one of the proudest achievements in my life," he told Cricket West Indies.
"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 realise 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."
The two-time World Champion expressed about finishing his career in front of the home crowd and hope to bid a memorable farewell to the game.
'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.'
Having played only the shortest format of the game since 2019, the swashbuckling all-rounder has snapped 61 wickets and scored 1078 runs in 84 outings. His raw skills in domestic T20 leagues won his teams championships with Russell being a major contributor in many of such victories.
Darren Sammy, who was his teammate, captain and is now the West Indies coach acknowledged Russell's hunger to perform and win for the country.
"Andre has always been the consummate professional and a fierce competitor. Whether I was captaining him or now coaching him, his hunger to perform and win for West Indies has never wavered.
"I wish him all the best on his next chapter, and I hope he continues to inspire generations to come."
UNI RKM
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
29 minutes ago
- Time of India
EXCLUSIVE: Inspired by 2006 FIFA World Cup glory, Italy's cricket 'underdogs' take aim at T20 World Cup
Italy booked their maiden berth in a T20 World Cup, coming via the European Qualifiers. (Image: Instagram) NEW DELHI: Forza Italia! Forza Italia! The chants still reverberate in the ears of Thomas Draca after Italy secured a historic qualification for the 2026 ICC Men's T20 World Cup. Italy booked their place in the mega event, set to be held in India and Sri Lanka, by defeating hosts Netherlands in the ICC Men's T20 World Cup Europe Region Final. With the Italian flag draped over his shoulders and tears in his eyes, pacer Draca took a heartfelt victory lap around the Sportpark Westvliet in Voorburg, Netherlands. It was a deeply emotional moment — not just for Draca, but for all of Italy. Long celebrated as a football-mad nation that has produced legends like Alessandro Del Piero, Gianluigi Buffon, Andrea Pirlo, Franco Baresi, Paolo Maldini, Roberto Baggio and Francesco Totti, Italy is now scripting a new chapter — one that puts cricket on the national sporting map. For Draca, it's just the beginning — marking the start of a fresh era for cricket in Italy. "Honestly, I can't believe it. It's just all surreal at the moment. It's been a work in progress. And I think, you know, you look at our squad now — when we get our main squad in — we're excited and thrilled to be a part of it. But we're also thrilled to be able to compete at the international level. And that's what we all believe. That's the whole goal," Draca told by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like This Could Be the Best Time to Trade Gold in 5 Years IC Markets Learn More Undo "We know we'll be the underdogs, but it's more than just going to the World Cup. It's the start of something new. We've wanted to create a foundation for cricket - to inspire young kids to pick up a bat instead of just playing football at school. So for us, it's more than just qualifying for a World Cup. It's the start of something special," he said. Cricket may never reach football's level in Italy, but to do something even close would mean a lot. Thomas Darcy Draca was just six years old when Italy lifted the FIFA World Cup in 2006 — their fourth title — after a 5–3 victory over France in a dramatic penalty shootout. The memories of that iconic win remain fresh for the right-arm pacer, who once dreamed of becoming a footballer. Playing in a World Cup had always been his childhood dream, but destiny had other plans. Now, he's set to represent Italy on the global stage — not in football, but in cricket. "When we call Italy, the football stars come to mind. But this is the first time cricket is stepping up. There have been players who've been involved since the early 2000s. You look at Gareth Berg — he's devoted much of his career to cricket in Italy. So, it's not just the last year or two. Joe Burns made his debut in 2015. I actually met one of the early captains of Italy's qualifying days. He came to the ground and told me, 'You're one of my heroes. ' I was like, 'What do you mean?' And he said, 'I flew across to witness this special event.' He played back in 2016 when Italy was fighting to qualify for division cricket," he said. "Joe Burns keeps joking that I am the new Totti. And we've seen comments about how Italy couldn't qualify for the Football World Cup, but here we are qualifying in cricket! For me, the 2006 Italy football team that won the World Cup was inspirational. I remember when they knocked Australia out, and I was always a football fan. I only started taking cricket seriously at 16. I played football growing up, so the Serie A legends have always been heroes. Cricket may never reach football's level in Italy, but to do something even close would mean a lot." As the team continues to celebrate their qualification for the T20 World Cup, Draca remains confident that this squad has something special — a unique spark — and believes they are capable of creating their own piece of history. "We're representing a nation that's still new to cricket, but we want to inspire the next generation. 10-20 years ago, that idea wouldn't have existed. But now, it's becoming a reality. "The Federation has always supported us — people like Peter and Michael Di Venuto played in the early 2000s. Gareth Berg's been here since 2012–13. And now, we've got players in the peak of their careers, like Burns, the Manenti brothers (Ben Manenti and Harry Manenti), and Grant Stewart," the 24-year-old said. Catch Rani Rampal's inspiring story on Game On, Episode 4. Watch Here!
New Indian Express
an hour ago
- New Indian Express
Andre Russell to retire from international cricket after 2nd T20 against Australia
KINGSTON: Flamboyant T20 freelancer Andre Russell will draw the curtains on a start-stop 15-year international career for the West Indies after the second T20I against Australia here on July 22. Russell's most significant achievement is being a member of two T20 World Cup winning West Indies teams in 2012 and 2016 respectively. Since 2019, Russell has featured exclusively in the T20 format. He has represented the West Indies in 84 T20Is, 56 ODIs and one solitary Test. The 37-year-old Jamaican, a cornerstone of West Indies' T20 success, had been named in the squad for the five match series against Australia but will play his final two international matches on July 20 and 22 at his beloved home ground -- the Sabina Park. Russell, who was part of the title-winning squads in 2012 and 2016, announced his decision just seven months ahead of the 2026 T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka. "Words cannot explain what it meant. To represent the West Indies has been one of the proudest achievements in my life," Russell said in a statement posted by Cricket West Indies.
New Indian Express
an hour ago
- New Indian Express
1st WODI: Deepti Sharma powers India to four-wicket victory over England
SOUTHAMPTON: Deepti Sharma showed enormous composure with an unbeaten half century that powered India to a comfortable four-wicket victory in the opening women's ODI against England here. The dress rehearsals for India's 50-over World Cup started in earnest as a target of 259 was chased with 10 balls to spare, courtesy Deepti's unbeaten 62 off 64 balls with three boundaries and a six. Her 90-run fifth wicket stand in 14.2 overs with Jemimah Rodrigues (48 off 54 balls) proved to be the match-winning one. All-rounder Amanjot Kaur (20 off 14 balls) provided the finishing touches with some meaty blows as the target was achieved with minimum fuss despite India being reduced to 124 for 4 after the fall of skipper Harmanpreet Kaur's (17) wicket. Deepti and Rodrigues took over and farmed the strike well as they kept the scoreboard ticking and also hit the occasional boundaries whenever loose deliveries were provided. Deepti, whose slog over batting has always come in for a lot of flak, was brilliant in planning the chase.
