Picture Credit: X
On Wednesday, July 23, Andre Russell took the field in what was his final appearance in his elaborated international cricketing career, during the second T20I of the five-match series between West Indies and Australia. Russell, who had prior to the start of the T20I series had confirmed to retire from international cricket at his home ground in Jamaica, walked for the last time during the second T20I at the Sabina Park in Kingston, Jamaica.
During his final appearance in the Caribbean colours, Russell was bestowed with a guard of honour from his home side as well as the visiting team, Australia amid applause from fans at the Sabina Park. As the 37-year-old walked down to the ground, he was also awarded with a special memento from the Honourable Minister of Sports, Entertainment and Culture.
CWI honors Andre Russell’s admirable international career; presents with special memento
In a post on X, CWI captioned the post, “Dre Russ takes his final walk in the Maroon �� , honored by teammates, hailed by fans ���� and etched forever in West Indies Cricket Legend." It is to be noted that Russell, who began his international career in 2010, did not disappoint in his final appearance as he hit two fours and four sixes while scoring 36 off 15 balls in the second T20I.
Earlier, the 37-year-old confirmed his retirement stating, “Words cannot explain what it meant. To represent the West Indies has been one of the proudest achievements in my life. When I was a kid, I did not expect to get to this level, but the more you start to play and get to love the sport, you realize what you can achieve. This inspired me to become better because I wanted to leave a mark in the maroon colours and become an inspiration to others.”
“I love playing for the West Indies and I love playing at home in front of my family and friends where I get to showcase my talent and produce more high-quality performances. I want to finish my international career on a high while being a role model for the next generation of cricketers coming out of the Caribbean,” he further added.
The Jamaican has now put a curtain on his international career which saw him garner 1086 and 1034 runs across 85 T20Is and 56 ODIs, respectively. His decision comes at a stage where the ICC T20 World Cup stands just seven months away and follows the retirement of their star batter Nicholas Pooran.
