On the heels of news that Andre Russell has withdrawn from the 2020 Lankan Premier League it has emerged that the all-rounder did not request a No Objection Certificate from Cricket West Indies that would allow him to play in the Sri Lankan T20 league.

CWI CEO Johnny Grave told Sportsmax.TV this afternoon that CWI never received a NOC request from the Jamaican all-rounder to play in the Lankan Premier League. The NOC is a document provided to players from member nations of the International Cricket Council that allows a cricketer to play in a domestic competition of another member nation.

Russell, 32, recently declined an invitation to the West Indies T20 squad set to play three matches in New Zealand late next month. Chief selector Roger Harper said Russell said he needed time to clear his head after being in lockdown during the CPL and then before he began playing for the Kolkata Knight Riders in the 2020 IPL.

However, shortly after declining a place in the West Indies squad, news broke that Russell had been drafted by the Colombo Kings. Then, in a later development reports surfaced today that said Russell had withdrawn from the league citing injury.

Russell injured his knee during a match against the Kings XI Punjab on October 10. He played in subsequent matches against Royal Challengers Bangalore, Mumbai Indians and Sunrisers Hyderabad. However, he has not played since October 18.