'Red-ball cricket is not my cookie' - West Indies all-rounder Andre Russell opens up his availability in Test cricket

Andre Russell, West Indies' prime all-rounder, has opened up about his chances of playing in Test cricket. Currently, West Indies is at the bottom of the WTC points table because of their series defeat against England. Moreover, in recent years, the quality of cricket has also decreased. Hence, the inclusion of Russell could have been a boon for the team. However, the all-rounder clearly said that his body won't support red-ball cricket.

"Red-ball cricket is not my cookie, I don’t think my body will keep up with Test cricket. But those in the team at the moment are fit enough and taking on the challenge. They had a few moments in the Test series where they could have turned things around. Playing England at home is always going to be hard for the West Indies," said Andre Russel as quoted by Britain’s PA news agency.  

England thrashed the West Indies side in the 3-match Test series which concluded recently. Their batting and bowling weren't up to the mark. From here on, they'll have to win most of their matches if they want to qualify for the WTC finals. However, their chances are bleak as they have lost a lot of matches already. 

I think a lot of players are just not interested in playing Tests: Andre Russell

Andre Russell also discussed the fact that why a lot of players aren't interested in playing red-ball cricket these days. As per the all-rounder, the issue isn't the money. It's just the number of T20 league tournaments has increased, and players travel the entire time to play those matches. Hence, they just don't feel like playing in the longer format of the game. 

"I don’t think it’s the money, I don’t think money is the issue. Based on the amount of T20 and leagues around the world, I think a lot of players are just not interested in playing Tests. I’m always excited watching the other West Indian batters, especially when they’re hitting boundary after boundary," said Andre Russell.