West Indies’ Andre Russell celebrates after taking a wicket against England during the first T20 International at Kensington Oval in Bridgetown, Barbados on December 12, 2023. (Photo: AFP)
West Indies have struggled in Test cricket for decades but Jamaica and West Indies white-ball all-rounder Andre Russell does not believe that will change quickly as players are not interested in the format.
The Caribbean side are enduring a summer to forget, losing all three Test matches during their tour of England last month and also going down 1-0 in their back-to-back matches against South Africa which finished on Saturday.
However, the team’s struggles in the longest format are nothing new. Once one of the most feared teams, the Windies have declined significantly over the past two decades, averaging eighth in the ICC men’s Test rankings.
In fact, since 2020, they have won only four of the 16 series they have played, with three of those victories coming against Bangladesh and Zimbabwe, who are both ranked outside the top eight in the standings.
The popularity of T20 cricket has been cited as one of the main reasons for the Windies’ decline, with many of the region’s star players, including Russell, being heavily criticised for prioritising franchise cricket over international matches because they were offered lucrative contracts.
But Russell, who played his only Test appearance in 2010, believes it is not finances that are holding back the team’s growth in Test cricket.
“I don’t think it’s about money. Judging by the number of T20 leagues around the world, I think a lot of players just aren’t interested in playing Test matches,” Russell told the Press Association.
The 36-year-old, who has won numerous titles in T20 cricket including the World Cup and the Indian Premier League, says the style of Test cricket needs to change to make it appealing to the younger generation.
“It’s always exciting to see other West Indies batsmen, especially when they hit boundary line after boundary line. As long as they can do well on a contract outside their home country, I think they will take that opportunity. But everyone wants to play on the big stage so if the big stage comes in Test cricket, the young players will be happy to play. I don’t think it’s about money or anything like that,” he said.
In the past, the likes of Russell, Nicholas Pooran and Shimron Hetmyer have been suggested as potential game-changers for the team with their batting skills, but batsmen struggle to average above 30 in this format and the West Indies have struggled in this regard.
But Russell, who has struggled with injuries in recent years, believes Test cricket is not for him and is backing the current players to make a change.
“Red-ball cricket is not my forte. I don’t think my body can keep up with Test cricket. But at the moment the guys in the squad are fit enough and up to the challenge. They’ve had some moments in the Test series,” he said. [against England] They could have turned things around. Playing England at home is always going to be difficult for the West Indies.”
After requesting to be rested for the West Indies T20 International series against South Africa, which begins on Friday, the next time Caribbean fans will see Russell play will likely be in the 2024 Caribbean Premier League season with the Trinidad and Tobago Knight Riders.