Injured Andre Russell to miss the clash against New Zealand, confirms Holder

Windies all-rounder Andre Russell has been ruled out of the clash against New Zealand. The latest development has been confirmed by skipper Jason Holder. Russell looked to be in trouble and struggled to move in the field, during their match against Bangladesh. Not close to being 100% fit, Russell featured in all of Windies’ games so far.

The management was aware of Russell’s lack of fitness but the all-rounder’s form with the bat acted as a temptation. Holder said Russell will not be seen in action against the Kiwis but the rest of the side is raring to go.

“We’ve still got a few niggles within the group,” Jason Holder said. “We’re trying to manage niggles the best we possibly can. I think one guy who probably may be definitely out tomorrow is Russell. I don’t think he’s fit enough to go tomorrow. But everybody else should be good to go.”

Blow to Windies with Russell missing out

It would be a setback for Windies as they are desperate for a turnaround, especially after losing to Bangladesh. The men in maroon failed to defend a 300-plus total as Shakib Al Hasan played the chief anchor’s role to hand Tigers a comprehensive win.

They are currently at the seventh spot and one more loss would shut the door on a possible semi-final berth. But they can take inspiration from the side’s warm-up game against the same opponents. Against Kane Williamson’s men, the Windies piled up 421 runs.

“It just shows what we can produce,” Holder said of the warm-up game. “It’s a situation where we’ve just got to pull on those resources, remember the things that we did in that game. And it just shows that when we’re at our best what we can produce. I just think the guys just need to be clear, need to be calm and just execute their plans.”