New Delhi, July 19: West Indies all-rounder Andre Russell has announced that he will retire from international cricket after the two T20 matches against Australia on July 20 and 22. Both these matches will be played at Sabina Park in Jamaica, which is Russell’s home ground.
Russell played 141 matches for West Indies, and his most memorable innings was played against India in the semi-final of the 2016 T20 World Cup in Mumbai. India scored 193 runs in that match.
When Russell came to bat at number 5, West Indies needed 77 runs in 41 balls. Russell scored an unbeaten 43 runs in just 20 balls and gave West Indies victory by hitting a six off Virat Kohli in the last over.
Russell said in an interview to West Indies Cricket,
The 2016 World Cup semi-final was the proudest moment of my life. At that time the entire stadium in India was supporting their team, so there was a bit of pressure. But the pitch was good and we had confidence in the dressing room. This confidence gave me the freedom to play freely.
Won the World Cup for the second time in 4 years
After losing to India in the semi-finals, West Indies defeated England in the final to win the T20 World Cup for the second time in four years. Russell was a part of both victories.
On this he said, winning two World Cups is a different feeling. After winning the final, when you sleep and wake up in just two hours, but still you feel fresh, because you want to see all those good moments, social media posts and people’s wishes on the internet. I get emotional after seeing all that.
This is the right time to retire- Russell
Russell said that he tried to give his best for West Indies at every opportunity and now he feels that this is the right time to retire. It is like a dream for me to retire at Sabina Park. This is where I started cricket and it is an honor for me to finish here.