All-arounder Andre Russell of the West Indies has stated that representing his country “comes first,” explaining his recent absence from the T20 series in New Zealand due to his participation in the ongoing Lanka Premier League.
Russell also disclosed that he attempted to change his mind after originally declining the invitation to tour New Zealand, but Chief Selector Roger Harper informed him that it was “too late” because the team had already been selected. On the eve of the T20I series, though, Russell made waves when West Indies head coach Phil Simmons claimed he was “news” to him about Russell’s LPL team, the Colombo Kings.
For the first time, Russell gave a thorough explanation for his absence from the New Zealand tour during a conversation this week with the Jamaica-based TV network SportsMax. Russell responded, “Playing for West Indies comes first for me,” to a question posed by Wayne Lewis, the secretary of the West Indies Players Association and a SportsMax expert. “I wouldn’t put in the same amount of work and energy playing for the West Indies somewhere else. People don’t always comprehend the aches and pains and other issues that a player like me faces. However, they will only pass judgment, and it will be simple for them to do so,” he remarked.