West Indies celebrated all-rounder Andre Russell claims the Caribbean cricketers are not interested in playing red-ball cricket. England seized the recent Test series against West Indies by 3-0.
West Indies has been suffering in Test for a long time now. The players have been seen getting involved in short formats rather than Test cricket. The West Indies all-rounders are famous across the nation for their power-hitting ability. However, Test cricket is certainly not their cup of tea. Notably, in December 2023, West Indies cricketers Jason Holder, Nicholas Pooran, and Kyle Mayers turned down West Indies central contracts. However, they were available for T20Is.
“I don’t think money is the issue”: Andre Russell On Test Cricket Downfall
Andre Russell pointed out the issue to be a lack of interest by players towards the Test rather than money. In addition, he also mentioned that the West Indies players prefer T20 and leagues hosted across the nation. Furthermore, Andre Russell emphasized the critical role of contracts in providing essential support to cricketers. He also mentioned about players choosing to perform on the big stage. Therefore, to his consideration, if Test cricket becomes popular, young cricketers will be happy to participate. Andre Russell believes that their main motivation is not money. In a recent interview with Press Association Andre Russell said that,
“I don’t think it’s the money, I don’t think money is the issue. Based on the amount of T20 and leagues around the world, I think a lot of players are just not interested in playing Tests,” he further added,
“As long as you can do well from contracts outside your nation I think they are going to grab that opportunity but everyone wants to play on the big stage. So, if the big stage comes in Test cricket, I know youngsters will be happy to play. I just don’t think it’s about money or anything like that.”
Andre Russell also termed Test cricket as not his cup of tea. The 36-year-old star all-rounder mentioned that his body would not survive the format. Andre Russell further called his teammates fit to perform in the Test. Mentioning the recent Test series against England, he said that things could be the other way around in some instances. However, he also said that competing against England at home is always going to be tough for West Indies.