Andre Russell produced some noteworthy performances on his return to the West Indies team as they managed to defeat England 3-2 in the recently concluded five-match series. The all-rounder hit 105 runs in five matches at a strike rate of 169.35 and also picked up seven wickets, which is second-most by a cricketer in the series. Hence, Russell believes that the performances will boost his confidence for the upcoming T20 World Cup, as West Indies will aim to win their third title.
The 35-year-old also opened up about his fitness and mentioned that he will look like a UFC fighter by the time the tournament begins. Notably, West Indies failed to qualify for the T20 World Cup in 2022 and hence, the players would be motivated to do well this time around as Russell mentioned that they will give some teams a good run for their money.
“I'll be in better shape, to be honest: I'll be looking like a UFC fighter. This series win means so much. It (makes me) want to push myself to the limit. Have a lot of cricket to play and that's good. When you're playing cricket and in competition, your body is active and you're not just sitting at home waiting for the World Cup. We are definitely going to give some teams a good, good run for their money in the World Cup,” said Russell while talking to TNT Sport.
I still get the pressure and the backlash but it just makes me stronger: Russell
Russell had a very interesting relationship with Cricket West Indies (CWI) and all of the fans. He faced a lot of backlash after deciding to play franchise cricket over international matches and following this, CWI didn’t pick him in the team during various tournaments. He finally made his return in the series against England and stated that he loves the Caribbean fans as they are passionate. He also wants to focus on his health as two important tournaments are in line.
“Fans won't know that, but I still get the pressure and the backlash and all of that. It just makes me stronger. I love my Caribbean fans and I know they are passionate about the game, and when we're messing up, they will be on our backs. I want to make sure that I do the necessary recoveries, drink a lot of coconut water and get my body right - massages, and all of that,” Russell said.
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