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West Indies all-rounder Andre Russell has revealed the best moment of his international cricket career ahead of his retirement next week.
The 37-year-old, who will retire after the first two T20Is against Australia on July 20 and 22 at Sabina Park in Kingston, looked back on his defining performances during an interview with Cricket West Indies (CWI).
Russell, who has represented the Caribbean side in 84 T20Is, has been a white-ball specialist since 2019.
Reflecting on his journey, Russell recalled his crucial knock against India in the semi-final of the ICC T20 World Cup 2016 in Mumbai as the highlight of his career.
Coming in at No. 5 during a daunting chase of 193, Russell smashed an unbeaten 43 off 20 balls, sealing the win by hitting Virat Kohli for six with two balls to spare.
“Definitely [my best moment was] the 2016 World Cup, that semi-final game against India where I brought the team home, me and Lendl Simmons, and obviously the start that we got from the other batters,” he said.
Andre Russell described the pressure of playing against a home crowd in India, but credited the team’s confidence and depth for allowing him to play with freedom.
“Chasing 190-plus in that semi-final in India, with the crowd supporting India only, that was already a bit of pressure,” he said.
“But the wicket was very good, so the confidence we had in the changing room and the batters that were left to come gave me the freedom and the confidence to play the role that I did.”
West Indies went on to win the final against England in Kolkata, securing their second T20 World Cup title in four years. Russell, who was part of both triumphs, said those memories will remain etched in his heart.
“Obviously, two World Cups, it’s just a different emotion,” he said.
“You sleep, you wake up [after the final], and you realise you’ve only been sleeping for two hours, but you feel well-rested because you just want to see what’s going on on the internet… all of those memories and good comments.”
Speaking about playing his final games at home, Russell said ending his career at Sabina Park makes it even more special.
“It’s a pretty good feeling,” he said.
“I think, [from the] first time I came to Sabina Park as a kid, and then to actually walk on the grass and feel the atmosphere and look in the stands and everything, and [to] now, I’ve achieved so much out of cricket for the last couple of years. I did my best every chance I got, representing the West Indies.
“I think it’s the perfect ground and the perfect series, against a good team as well, Australia, to end my international career.
“Seeing the posts and stuff going around on the internet, I get a bit emotional, to be honest. But the decision is already made, and I think I’ve done well enough to actually say, yes, that’s it for me towards international cricket.”
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