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West Indies' Andre Russell retiring from internationals after Australia T20s

KINGSTON, Jamaica (AP) — West Indies allrounder Andre Russell is retiring from international cricket after the two Twenty20s against Australia at his Sabina Park home ground.

The games are on Sunday and Tuesday.

Russell has played 84 T20s since 2011 and was a World Cup champion in 2012 and 2016. He's passed up a chance to play at a sixth T20 World Cup in eight months in India.

Cricket West Indies said the 37-year-old Russell “remains a high-impact player and was selected on merit.”

“To represent the West Indies has been one of the proudest achievements in my life,” Russell said. “When I was a kid, I did not expect to get to this level, but the more you start to play and get to love the sport, you realise what you can achieve. This inspired me to become better because I wanted to leave a mark in the maroon colours and become an inspiration to others.”

Daren Sammy was Russell's captain at both World Cup triumphs and has become his national coach.

“Andre has always been the consummate professional and a fierce competitor,” Sammy said. “Whether I was captaining him or now coaching him, his hunger to perform and win for West Indies has never wavered. I wish him all the best on his next chapter, and I hope he continues to inspire generations to come.”

Russell began his international career at age 22 with his sole test in 2010 against Sri Lanka. He played his 56th and last one-day international at the 2019 World Cup. He was a controversial selection as he'd played only one ODI since 2015 following a doping ban and knee injury. But he became the fastest player, in terms of balls played, to 1,000 ODI runs.

Since then he's become a T20 great, sought by franchises all over the world. This month he was playing for Los Angeles in Major League Cricket.

Russell will be replaced by Matthew Forde for the three T20s in St. Kitts and Nevis against Australia.

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AP cricket: https://apnews.com/hub/cricket

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