West Indies all-rounder Andre Russell has “no regrets” about being a sought-after T20 freelancer, as he genuinely believes that Test cricket was never meant to be a part of his cricketing journey.
“Honestly? No. I believe in Test cricket, but at the end of the day, I’m a professional. It wasn’t part of my journey. I have no regrets because it wasn’t me that turned my back,” Russell told The Guardian ahead of West Indies’ T20I series against England.
Russell, who represented the West Indies 140 times across formats, has only played one Test back in 2010. He has featured in 551 T20 matches over the past decade and a half, representing various teams across global leagues.
Recently, Virat Kohli termed the IPL victory for RCB as an achievement which is “five levels below Test cricket,” but Russell believes that perspective depends on where one is coming [from].
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“I think when you’re from India, Australia, England, those places where they look after their Test players, it’s totally different to being from West Indies,” Russell said.
“Those guys (India, Australia and England) get lucrative central contracts to play Test cricket and play on the biggest stages. Of course, they want to play. West Indians? You might play 50 or 100 Tests, and you know, after you retire, there’s not much to show for it. “Of course, you want the possibility of living a comfortable life and taking care of your family,” Russell said, adding the financial advantages of plying trade in T20 leagues.
Talking about Test cricket, the 37-year-old Jamaican was clear that he never gave up on [the] traditional format, but people in power typecasted him into a white-ball specialist.
“I was basically pushed out of the Test set-up. They saw me as more of a white-ball player, and that was that.”
