The ultimate West Indies all-rounder Andre Russel’s rant turned explicit on social media amid the controversy that arose during the eliminator match of Caribbean Premier League (CPL) 2024. Playing for Trinbago Knight Riders, Russell took to social media stating that he felt ‘robbed’ after his team lost to Barbados Royals. With David Miller scoring a blitzkrieg fifty, DLS came into the picture when floodlight failure caused a stoppage in play and the Royals were set a revised target after an extensive timeout.
The incident took place during the final overs of the match when three floodlights of the six working ones seized functioning with five balls remaining of the Trinbago Knight Riders innings. They were 168/3 after 19.1 overs when the match was abandoned.
The lights came back just 10 minutes before the 5-over match would have done so and the cut off time gave 60 runs for Royals. Miller almost killed their opponents in just 17 balls with the help of this incredible innings.
“I am someone who does not go on ys and scream but this year CPL I feel robbed,” he said. “This light situation was rubbish the light came on just before cutoff time was 60 off 30 balls was bigger rubbish than what i guessed Andre Russell was right rubbish rubbish but everybody can just say its boiled stupid” stated Russel in an Instagram story.
Before this incident, Andre Russel expressed that majority of Caribbean players do not
“want to participate in Test matches” and it is not due to financial reasons.
Russel however notes that the development of T20 leagues around the globe means that the more traditional format of simple red-ball cricket is less appealing to the new generation of players. The cameras caught last year veteran players Jason Holder, Nicholas Pooran and Kyle Mayers all refused to sign a central contract with West Indies but offered their services for T20I games. Although Holder has also played Test matches.
Russell’s Test career is limited to playing only one Test but he disclosed that money is not the reason Test cricket is being turned down.
“I don’t think it’s the money, I don’t think money is the issue,” Russell told the Press Association. “When you look at the volume of T20 and leagues played in the world, I think more players have simply lost the appetite for Test cricket.”
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