West Indian all-rounder feels he is paying the price for his popularity
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Read the full story here: https://gulfnews.com/sport/cricket/icc/ego-of-individuals-pulling-west-indies-cricket-down-says-andre-russell-1.92676767
See more videos at https://gulfnews.com/videos
Read more Gulf News stories here: https://bit.ly/2HLJ2km
Subscribe to Gulf News on YouTube and watch more of our videos: https://www.youtube.com/user/GulfNewsTV
#UAEnews #cricket #andrerussell
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00:00I'll miss out on this money for the love of West Indies cricket and I've done it, I've done it over the years.
00:07Miss out on Bangladesh Premier League which paid well, miss out on PSL that pays well to play for West Indies.
00:16I leave tournaments to go and join West Indies and what we get paid in international cricket for West Indies
00:24is way less than what you can make from a franchise cricket.
00:28But that is a sacrifice that I take that no one talks about.
00:38Welcome Andrew back again to Dubai, I spoke to you a few years ago when you played for Northern Warriors, again I'm meeting you now.
00:44Next start up talk about the biggest brand in world cricket, that's West Indies.
00:49So are you disappointed with the way West Indies played in the World Cup, T20 World Cup,
00:56losing in the first round, two time champions. How disappointed were you with the performance?
01:03Yeah actually I was a bit disappointed, well very disappointed knowing that I have good mates, close mates that was a part of the team.
01:18No one went down there with the mindset not to qualify for the Super 12.
01:24But at the end of the day, I just think in terms of the whole selection thing, you can't blame those players.
01:33They tried their best and not seeing anything negative based on I wasn't a part of the squad.
01:41Who knows, maybe if I was there, maybe it wouldn't change the result but knowing what I have been doing and what I have done in international cricket.
01:52I just think I'm going to back my talent that we would have maybe qualified for the Super 12.
02:01Maybe a few other players, if they were a part of the squad, they would maybe come to the party and at least play in the Super 12.
02:14Not saying that we would win the World Cup but being in the Super 12, that's every chance you have.
02:22So we wouldn't like roll over and say okay we're just here to compete.
02:27We are two time world champions and I was a part of those two World Cup championships and we know what to do at the big stage.
02:37That's the reason why I'm so disappointed.
02:40Not just you, West Indies had some very good talents like Sunil Narine, you, then just before the departure Hetmeyer had to pull out because he didn't reach there in time.
02:51Things are not happening in the right way, isn't it, in West Indies cricket right now? Or what is the reason in your opinion?
02:59I think there is too much ego involved. If I'm just going to be straightforward and honest, too much ego is involved.
03:07I think past players and who is involved with the board, not bashing anyone, I'm not that type of guy to go live and say this, say that about whatever is happening.
03:23But I leave that to time to take care of itself. So I just think too much ego is involved.
03:33For instance, my situation, I don't know what's going on in terms of other players not being selected, but for me it was a simple decision that didn't go according to plan.
03:49I think a few years ago me and Pollard and Mr Simmons, head coach, we had a Zoom call and they all mentioned the importance of senior players being a part of the squad.
04:06I was excited to see the direction that they are going. We talk about everything, like what they are expecting, what they want from us.
04:17They know we're not going to be available for all the series, but they want to know our schedule ahead of time, so whatever we are available for and what we are not available for, so they can plan accordingly.
04:32And that was a straight up decision. The guys that are involved now are the same guys that were involved before.
04:44The only changes was the chairman of selectors, Mr Desmond Ings, and he basically didn't know what was the conversation like two years before.
05:00I was disappointed knowing that the coach was a part of the Zoom call and he didn't utter a word about what was planned before.
05:13So I think they have their plans and people change and that's fine. But the thing that I wasn't happy about is how they went about it.
05:26So there were four series during that period. I had the Zoom call and they said to me, Russ, I want to know what's your plan.
05:37World Cup is coming up, we need all our good players to be a part of the whole set up and everything.
05:43I said I'm happy to be a part of it. West Indies cricket means everything to me.
05:49I don't mind hitting six sixes and doing all of these great things that I've been doing in league cricket, playing in the maroon, playing for West Indies.
05:59So they said to me, four series coming up, India, Bangladesh, New Zealand and then one before the World Cup in Australia.
06:10So my thing was, I said to them, I'm going to miss New Zealand series, but I'm available for that three series.
06:19In the conversation that was held on the Zoom call, Mr Pollard and also Phil Simmons mentioned that if there's four series coming up,
06:32we want to know which one you're going to miss or which two you're going to miss, because I'm not on a central contract for West Indies.
06:38So I'm not 100% there in terms of how other players would be getting paid monthly to be a part of the whole thing and whatever.
06:54They agreed to everything that was mentioned. Now, during that period, I missed a few leagues just to play for West Indies.
07:04No one looked at that, but they looked at the one that I'm missing to go and play the hundred ball in England.
07:12And that's where I see that I'm not going to allow these guys to dictate my pace.
07:20I'm 34 years old and I mentioned to them straight forward. I say I have kids, I have responsibilities.
07:26I'm not going around the corner. I'm not beating around the bush. I'm telling them straight up.
07:32Because in a couple of years time, when I stop playing cricket, who's going to be there for me?
07:38I've seen a lot of players come through the ranks, play for West Indies, being passionate.
07:45Yes, everyone is passionate. But life after cricket, when you're 38, 40, you can't use four World Cups and go to a supermarket.
07:56And it's just the mere fact. And that's why I'm so business headed and that's why I'm here.
08:02Me and Mr. Dipesh, willing to take T4 Tech to the level that all the other big mega brands are at the moment.
08:13So I'm disappointed to know that it's just one series I was going to miss out of four.
08:21And Mr. Ains say that it sounds like you want to choose when you want to play for West Indies and it can't work like that.
08:29We want players that are fully dedicated and fully committed to play for West Indies.
08:35I'm like, well, sir, I said my bit. And the year before, I missed a hundred ball and I missed out on a lot of money.
08:45I don't look at it like that. I look at it like, OK, you know what? I'm playing for my country.
08:52This is more important than the money. But when I realized the communication was very poor.
09:01During last year, when I missed out on a hundred ball, I had a contract and it was like one hundred and twenty five thousand pounds.
09:11Right. I explained to these guys, I said, listen, we have 15 games before the World Cup.
09:19I'm gonna I'm gonna play the first 12 games. I don't need any rest.
09:24I'm willing to put my body on the line to play all these games.
09:28But the last three games against Pakistan in Guyana, I have to go England because I remember some COVID thing was still going on.
09:36Guyana was on the red list to go into the UK.
09:40So if I go Guyana, I would have to go Jamaica or somewhere for 10 days before I go to England.
09:48COVID testing and all those things I would have to go through to go into the country.
09:54So no one was talking to me about it leading up.
10:02I asked the coach, I said, coach, it's like 12 or 15 days to go before I go England.
10:09The team want to know if I'm still coming. They want to know so they can get a replacement or whatever.
10:15I can't at the last moment I tell them, no, I can't make it.
10:19They have to prepare. They have to try and choose which the best player to replace a player like me.
10:25Now they say, yeah, we're gonna we're gonna have a meeting sometime in this week.
10:31The week came, it passed. I contact my agent, my agent contact someone on the board.
10:40Nothing happened. And when I said to the coach again, I said, coach, what's going on?
10:46No one is talking to me. He's like, well, you have Nicholas Puran who also have a hundred ball contract.
10:53Kyron Pollard also have a hundred ball contract and they can't go. They're committed to play this series.
11:00I said, coach, you know, the thing is, we are big men.
11:07And I'm kind of disappointed knowing that, you know, you beat around the bush.
11:13Everyone beat around the bush. Ignore me. And wait until the last moment you're going to tell me this.
11:22That's the thing about communication in the Caribbean and with the West Indies, the guys.
11:29I said to him, Nicholas Puran and Pollard, they're on a central contract for West Indies.
11:34It won't look good for them to leave and go and join a franchise team.
11:40The next thing is both of those guys, vice captain and captain, they can't leave.
11:47It's like a captain abandoning the ship. Right.
11:51So, you know, I have no hate for them. Nothing. I'm just disappointed.
12:02I'm not disappointed in any player, anyone. It's just the guys on the board who was involved in making these decisions.
12:12It weren't clear. Just tell me that, Russ, you can't go because we want to have the team gelling for the World Cup and everything and whatever.
12:25They're going to tell me now, you can go if you want, but if you don't get picked for the World Cup, it's on you.
12:33And that was the instruction coming from the head of the board.
12:38And I was like, this sounds like a set up.
12:42So you're going to say in the media that I choose to go and play league cricket than choosing to play for West Indies.
12:52When we had a discussion like a month before they select the 15-man squad and I explained to them that I will have to leave during a certain time.
13:02They say, yeah, that's OK. But at the last minute, they know they weren't going to allow it.
13:09It's like we are big men, just be honest.
13:13And then I would prepare myself and say, you know what, I'll miss out on this money for the love of West Indies cricket.
13:20And I've done it. I've done it over the years.
13:23Miss out on Bangladesh Premier League, which paid well.
13:27Miss out on PSL that pays well to play for West Indies.
13:32I leave tournaments to go and join West Indies.
13:36And what we get paid in international cricket for West Indies is way less than what you can make from a franchise cricket.
13:45But that is a sacrifice that I take that no one talks about.
13:51But they are quick to say that we are all about the league cricket and the money and whatever.
13:59I always look at it. I said, look at these coaches.
14:03If they are getting a bigger offer somewhere else, they're gone.
14:07So no one is loyal. They only loyal to the greener grass.
14:13So all these things happen. They went to the World Cup.
14:20I was hoping to take shame out of everyone's eye to hopefully they qualify for the Super 12.
14:28It didn't happen.
14:31It was a bitter moment. But most of my friends, people in Jamaica, family, they call me.
14:40Yo Russ, you see what happened at West Indies last night?
14:45I'm so happy that they didn't qualify because they didn't pick you.
14:49And I look at the opposite. I said it's not good for us.
14:53West Indies was the number one team in the world in T20 a few years ago.
14:59And we have to play qualifiers. Our cricket is going backwards.
15:05And because they are not picking the best players, forcing players that are still active, still good, to retire because of this system.
15:16So I'm thinking long term and that's the reason why I'm here. T4 Tech all the way.
15:23So yeah, that's a bigger question. Why is it happening? Is it inter-island politics?
15:31Because obviously West Indies, if somebody looks at the bigger picture, West Indies cricket is going backwards.
15:39Because what happened in the 90s when West Indies were at the top, then it went down.
15:45Again you guys played all the leagues and brought back West Indies the glory again.
15:50Again now losing in the qualifiers. So what do you think is the way forward and why is it happening?
15:57As I said before, I think players that are getting involved with the board that used to play the game,
16:10they are not happy with the money that we are making. And I'm not beating around the bush.
16:17They are not happy. And I always say this, whatever I'm getting paid to play this game now,
16:25I know in another 10, 15, 20 years, players are going to get ridiculous money to play this game.
16:35All I have to do, make whatever I can make now, make sure that my kids, my family is comfortable
16:45and I can be comfortable for the rest of my life. That's all I'm thinking about.
16:49I'm not going to worry about a mediocre player that is getting $3 million now to play IPL.
16:59I ain't worrying about that. Players a long time ago when IPL just started, that they used to get maybe half a million,
17:11they are now saying, I was better than this player and I was getting half a million. Times change.
17:18Half a million dollars back then was a lot of money. You could have purchased four properties with half a million US.
17:26But they are not looking at that. They are looking at, okay, these players are on big bucks.
17:33Even commentary, big bucks, big bucks, big bucks. Why they sound so jealous? Think about the positive, right?
17:42Now, it's the same thing with Westerners cricket. What I think they need to do better is communicate with players
17:52that is well established, like for instance myself, where they can come to an agreement and say,
18:00this is what we're going to do. This is how we're going to go about things. We're going to pick these guys to play this series.
18:09Our big brand players are going to be coming in for this series. And if I have four series or six series for the year
18:19and I'm going to miss on two series, you can't fault me for that. Because maybe when I'm missing, when I'm playing those two series
18:28or when I'm playing those four series, maybe two tournaments playing during that same time.
18:35So I'm missing out on earnings just to play those two series. I just think that is fair.
18:45So you're saying that you're still available for West Indies and you want to give priority to West Indies?
18:50Definitely. Definitely. Definitely. At 34, my game is experience. I think I know what to do at a certain time,
19:01a crucial moment of the game. And I know when to attack and when to be defensive.
19:08I know I can choose the bowlers where I'm going to get a big over from, choose an over to survive and not to get out.
19:18And that's when you play a lot of cricket. I've played over 400 D20 games. So yeah, that's a lot of experience.