Veteran West Indies all-rounder Andre Russel wishes to look like a UFC fighter by the time the T20 World Cup arrives next year on their home soil. The 35-year-old made a comeback into the West Indies team that defeated England by four wickets in the fifth Twenty20 International to win the five-match series 3-2.
Andre Russell last appeared for his country in the T20 World Cup in 2021 and had been recalled to the team for the five-match T20I series against England.
The West Indies big-hitter has struggled to finish games for his teams in recent years, however had a decent outing for his team in the series and would be keen on playing the T20 World Cup 2024 in the West Indies and the USA.
Speaking on TNT Sport, Andre Russell promised to look like a UFC fighter in the 2024 T20 World Cup after the series, and the team’s series victory meant everything to them. The all-rounder expressed his confidence in West Indies putting up a fine show in the marquee event.
“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 sat 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,” Andre Russell said.
West Indies failed to qualify for the recently concluded ODI World Cup in India, and a T20I series win over the T20I World champions would have boosted the team’s confidence. The Men in Maroon has performed very well in the lead-up to the home World Cup in June.
I Know West Indies Are Passionate About The Game – Andre Russell
Andre Russell went on to say that he is focused on his recovery, but that despite his extensive playing background, he still feels pressure. The 35-year-old wants to focus on the recovery process and was happy with the team’s bowling performance in the last game against England.
“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. That’s what I did to really be able to come in the last game, bowl three overs for 30-odd runs [37] – and then today was exceptional from all the bowlers,” Andre Russell added.
Andre Russell concluded the T20I series as the series’ second-highest wicket-taker, with seven scalps in five games, and played some memorable cameos for the team in lower-down the order and would return to play for Kolkata Knight Riders in the Indian Premier League in 2024.
