Andre Russell of London Spirit has stated that some of the top West Indies players have abandoned the Test format in favor of limited-overs competitions due to a lack of enthusiasm rather than financial hardships.
Earlier this month, England defeated the once-dominant West Indies 3-0 in a Test series that happened while a number of contemporary Caribbean stars were getting ready for lucrative appearances in the English domestic cricket league’s Hundred competition.
Russell, an all-around player, is one of five West Indian players in this year’s edition who are in the maximum £125,000 ($160,000) bracket. The other four players are Kieron Pollard at Southern Brave, Nicholas Pooran at Northern Superchargers, Rovman Powell at Trent Rockets, and Shimron Hetmyer at Spirit.
Russell’s only red-ball cap came in 2010, while Pooran, Powell, and Pollard have never played a single Test despite being highly regarded as explosive batters on the franchise scene.
Franchise cricket has long been seen as an especially appealing option for Caribbean players due to Cricket West Indies’ apparent lack of financial clout; however, Russell argues that there are other factors to take into account when analyzing why players from the region are choosing to end their first-class careers early.
He told Britain’s PA news agency, “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.”
“I’m always excited watching the other West Indian batters, especially when they’re hitting boundary after boundary,” the 36-year-old continued.
“I believe they would seize the chance if they can do well on contracts outside of their country, but everyone aspires to compete on a grand scale.
“I am confident that young players will be eager to participate if Test cricket becomes a major event. Simply put, I don’t believe it has to do with money or anything similar.”
Russell, who is sure that he is not built for five days of Test cricket, expressed sympathy for the West Indies team, whom England thrashed in less than ten days of the scheduled fifteen.
“Red-ball cricket is not my cookie, I don’t think my body will keep up with Test cricket,” Russell said. “However, the current members of the team are capable and rising to the occasion.
“During the Test series, they had a couple opportunities to make things right. It will never be easy for the West Indies to play England at home.”