Andre Russell prefers BPL over BBL, reasons it out

Captain of the Bangladesh Premier League franchise Rajshahi Royals, West Indian all-rounder Andre Russell feels that the BPL is a lot more fun than Australia’s Big Bash League which is way too long a tournament for his liking. Talking to the reporters ahead of their tournament opener against Dhaka Platoon, Russell spoke about why he chose to play the BPL over the BBL.

“The tournament [BPL] is more fun and it is shorter and so less time away from home… I get a lot of love here. The hospitality and everything is amazing. You get a warm welcome on this side of the world. I never really think twice. Once I heard this was happening, new rules, new teams, new owners and new franchises. I was interested to be part of it. I wanted to get the ball rolling.”

Russell, a huge name in franchise cricket, has won the tournament twice with Comilla Victorians and the Dhaka Dynamites. However, this is the first time he will be captaining in the BPL, having come through the experience of captaining the Jamaica Tallawahs in the Caribbean Premier League. On the pressures of captaincy, Russell said,

“I am honoured to be given the responsibility of leading the team. Regardless, I always look at myself as a player in the heat. I have a very big role in any team I play for. It is going to be something new for me outside the Caribbean. I have led Jamaica Tallawahs before. It will be interesting and I am up for a challenge.”

“I won’t say we have the best squad but we have a good team on paper. It is a good start for any captain, coach and any team. We want to use the experience of each player, which will put us in the right foot. We have a few good local talents. I have been watching videos, seeing what they can do. We have a balanced squad including local and international fast bowlers. We have good options.”