KINGSTON, Jamaica, (CMC) – West Indies T20 captain Shai Hope has pledged to give retiring all-rounder Andre Russell a victorious send-off in the upcoming two matches at Sabina Park against Australia, starting here today.
With Russell set to bow out of international cricket after the series, Hope hailed the legendary all-rounder as a T20 icon and a vital presence in the dressing room.
“He’s one of those names that whenever you mention T20 cricket, you have to call him and put him in the picture. He’s a great guy to have around, very fun to be around. He’s certainly shared a lot of his knowledge, especially in the T20 format. We’re going to miss him quite a lot. He’s done a lot for us, helping us win two World Cups. But yeah, we want to send him off on a good note.”
The West Indies have been formidable at home in white-ball cricket, and Hope stressed the importance of maintaining that dominance.
“It’s very important for us. We tend to defend home court really well, something we’ve been doing for quite some time in 50-over and T20 cricket.”
Despite not having the full squad assembled yet, Hope remains confident in his team’s preparation. “The guys have really been putting in the hard work, even though we’re not a complete group here as yet. But everyone has the experience I spoke about earlier, and there’s a lot to look forward to for the rest of this season, as well as leading into the 2026 World Cup.”
While Australia has fielded a relatively inexperienced squad for this series, Hope warned against complacency. “We can’t write them off. They’re number two in the world now. They’ve showcased why they’re there.”
Reflecting on the recent Test series loss, Hope emphasised the need for improvement. “We need to raise our game, especially coming off that tough loss. But that’s in the past. We’ve got to ensure we focus on our strengths more than the opposition. We know what they’re capable of.”
He added, “Yes, we’ve been successful at home for quite some time now, but that doesn’t guarantee a win. We have to earn it.”
The West Indies will have assistant coach Floyd Reifer leading from the dugout, as regular head coach Daren Sammy has returned home due to a family bereavement.