Andre Russell Retirement: West Indies veteran player Andre Russell has made up his mind to say goodbye to international cricket.

Andre Russell Retirement:  West Indies veteran player Andre Russell has said goodbye to international cricket. The last international match of his career will be the second match of the five-match T20 series against Australia, which will be played on his home ground. Let us tell you, 37-year-old Russell has been included in the West Indies T20 team announced for the five-match T20 international series against Australia starting on Sunday. 

The first two T20 matches of the series will be held at Sabina Park in Jamaica on 20 and 22 July, which will be the farewell matches of Russell's career. Russell has been playing only T20 internationals since 2019. He has represented the team in 84 matches so far. 

According to Cricket West Indies, while announcing his retirement from the T20 international format, Andre Russell said, "Words cannot describe what it meant. Representing the West Indies is one of the proudest achievements of my life." Russell further said, "When I was a kid, I didn't expect to reach this level, but the more you start playing and love the game, you realize what you can achieve. It inspired me to become better because I wanted to leave my mark in maroon and be an inspiration to others."

Andre Russell further said, "I love playing for the West Indies and I love playing at home in front of my family and friends where I get a chance to showcase my talent and perform at a more high-quality level. I want to end my international career on a high by becoming a role model for the next generation of cricketers coming from the Caribbean."

If we talk about Russell's records, this player has scored 1078 runs in T20 Internationals at a strike rate of 163.08 while during this time he has also taken 61 wickets. At the same time, in 56 ODIs, he has scored 1034 runs at an average of 27.21. He has 70 wickets in ODIs. Russell plays in T20 leagues around the world. In his career, he has played 561 T20 matches so far, in which he has scored 9316 runs at a strike rate of 168.31 and taken 485 wickets.

His retirement comes ahead of next year's T20 World Cup in India. After Nicholas Pooran, Russell is set to become the second high-profile West Indies player to quit international cricket in less than two months. Russell was part of the West Indies team that won the T20 World Cup first in 2012 and then in 2016. In the 2016 World Cup final, he turned the tide of the match by dismissing Alex Hales in the second over with the new ball.

West Indies team: Shai Hope (captain), Jewel Andrew, Jedidiah Blades, Roston Chase, Matthew Forde, Shimron Hetmyer, Jason Holder, Akeal Hosein, Alzari Joseph, Brandon King, Evin Lewis, Gudakesh Moti, Rovman Powell, Andre Russell, Sherfane Rutherford, Romario Shepherd

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