TAROUBA, Trinidad (CMC):
VETERAN ALL-ROUNDER Andre Russell says West Indies’ series win over England has given him extra motivation to be in the best shape possible for next year’s Twenty20 World Cup.
The 35-year-old, recalled for his first international assignment in two years, played a key role, helping West Indies edge England 3-2 in a thrilling series which wrapped up in Trinidad and Tobago last Thursday.
He is expected to be at the forefront of the squad which will feature in the June 4-30 showpiece in the Caribbean and the United States.
“I’ll be in better shape to be honest. I’ll be looking like a UFC fighter,” Russell said following the fifth T20 International at the Brian Lara Stadium.
“This series win means so much and it kind of [makes me] want to push myself to the limit. I have a lot of cricket to play so that’s good.
“When you’re playing cricket, you’re in competition and your body is active and not just sitting home waiting for the World Cup.
“We’re definitely going to give some teams a good run for their money.”
He added: “I’m just excited to be back and to have a win. The coach has been backing me a lot and I’m so happy and I feel like I’ve won this big, big championship [not] just a series win. That’s how much it means to me.
“Getting the call-up to come back and join the West Indies team, I’ve been working for the last two years, waiting for a call-up and it’s so good to have a start of being back in the team and back in the set-up.
“And we have a series win and especially against such a good and challenging team like England.”
Russell made an instant impact in his first game back, snatching three for 19 and then smashing a 14-ball unbeaten 29 in a Man-of-the-Match effort to fire West Indies to a four-wicket win.
His performances dipped in the next few games, however, especially in the second T20 International when he leaked 66 runs and then in the following game in Grenada when he conceded 24 runs in the final over with England requiring 21 for victory.
CHALLENGES
Russell said he had faced some challenges in making the transition from playing in the Abu Dhabi T20 just prior to the England series.
“I was coming from Abu Dhabi which was a big time difference and flying back into Barbados, I tried to stay up as late as possible to make sure I got enough sleep so I could be fresh for the game,” he explained.
“When I got to Grenada I just couldn’t sleep. I started feeling sleepy at 6 a.m. which would be the time I would sleep in Abu Dhabi.
“Fans wouldn’t know that but I still get the pressure and backlash and all of that, and it just makes me stronger.
“I love my Caribbean fans and I know they’re passionate about the game, and when we’re messing up they will be on our backs.”
Russell said his contribution to the squad was not only in the field but in the behind-the-scenes planning.
This proved valuable after England plundered West Indies’ bowling in the third and fourth matches with totals in excess of 200, to claw themselves back into the series.
“After the last (fourth) game we played, I stood up as a senior player in the meeting and I said ‘guys, we have to come up with a plan. We have to bowl a bit fuller, around the wicket, change angles – do something different like start with two fast bowlers instead of Akeal (Hosein)’,” Russell said.
“Other players in the room were saying the same thing as well because having straight plans [meant England] were expecting this and could plan how they were going to go about it.”