West Indies Calls Up Andre Russell for Sri Lanka T20 Series

The West Indies cricket team has recalled the big-hitting all-rounder Andre Russell for their upcoming Twenty20 International series against Sri Lanka on Saturday. The T20 world champions are all set for the defence of their prestigious title in Australia later this year.

The 31-year-old Andre Russell, who was a key player in the West Indies’ 2016 World T20 title win, last played internationally in the last year’s 50-over World Cup in England and has not featured in any T20I game since August 2018.

On the other hand, Shimron Hetmyer, who along with his fellow batsman Evin Lewis who was left out of the ODI squad in Sri Lanka for failing the minimum fitness requirements, is also back in the T20I squad.

“Shimron Hetmyer missed out on selection for the ODI squad,” said lead selector Roger Harper. “He has since attained the required fitness level, becoming available for selection and has been included.”

“Andre Russell is back in the squad, having been cleared by the medical panel and successfully completing CWI’s return-to-play protocol. Andre will add potency to every department of the team. Oshane Thomas appears to be focused and raring to go. He will add pace and penetration to the bowling unit,” he shared.

“I look forward to the team building on its recent performances and winning the T20 series in Sri Lanka. This is another opportunity for the team to build on its strengths and identify areas that need improvement while continuing the process of building-up with the aim of peaking for the T20 World Cup in October,” he further added.

Russell has scored more than 5,000 runs in all T20 cricket which also including two centuries, and he has taken 290 wickets in the shortest format of the game as well. The West Indies will take on Sri Lanka for two T20I games in Kandy on March 4 and 6 respectively.

West Indies squad:

Kieron Pollard (Captain), Fabian Allen, Dwayne Bravo, Sheldon Cottrell, Shimron Hetmyer, Shai Hope, Brandon King, Nicholas Pooran, Rovman Powell, Andre Russell, Lendl Simmons, Oshane Thomas, Hayden Walsh Jr, Kesrick Williams