West Indies all-rounder Andre Russell has made it clear that, contrary to popular belief, financial incentives are by no means the main reason why some Caribbean players don’t play Test cricket. To put it bluntly, they are just not interested.

The topic has been one floating around for some time, as it became clear that players, like Russell, are more drawn to Twenty20 cricket by the lucrative lure of popular leagues around the world and, as such, have shied away from the game’s longest format.

It again came to the fore late last year, when Jason Holder, Nicholas Pooran, and Kyle Mayers turned down West Indies central contracts but made themselves available for T20 internationals.

In fact, earlier this year, both Holder and Mayers declined to take up spots in the West Indies team for the Test series against Australia, opting to pursue T20 opportunities instead. However, Holder has since made a return to the Test squad.

With speculations rife that T20s monetary payout has affected their commitment to Test cricket, Russell sought to clear the air on the matter.

“I don't think it's the money; I don't think money is the issue. Based on the number of T20 leagues around the world, I think a lot of players are just not interested in playing Tests,” Russell said in a recent interview with the Press Association.

His remarks come as West Indies currently sit at the bottom of the nine-team World Test Championship table after being swept 3-0 by England in a recent series. They have since secured a stalemate in the first Test of their ongoing series against South Africa.

Russell, Shimron Hetmyer, Pooran, Rovman Powell, and Kieron Pollard were among the West Indians playing in The Hundred when the last Test against England was being played in late July. Among the highest-paid players in the league, they are still playing The Hundred as the series against South Africa heads into the second contest.

Though Pollard, Powell, and Pooran have never played Test cricket, Russell played one in 2010. Hetmyer has played 16 games, the last of which was in 2019.

“Red-ball cricket is not my cookie; I don't think my body will keep up with Test cricket,” Russell declared as he alluded to the rigorous schedule and the physical and mental toll Test cricket takes on a player.

“I'm always excited watching the other West Indian batters, especially when they're hitting boundary after boundary. As long as you can do well from contracts outside your nation, I think they are going to grab that opportunity, but everyone wants to play on the big stage. So, if the big stage comes in Test cricket, I know youngsters will be happy to play. I just don't think it's about money or anything like that,” he added.

Russell, known for his explosive performances in limited-overs formats and his significant contributions to the West Indies team, has long been a pivotal figure in international cricket.

Now 36, Russell has managed to stay at the top of his game in white-ball cricket, but it was not without hard work and sacrifice. He overcame a series of injuries over the years, the last of which was a knee injury that forced him out of the 2019 ODI World Cup after a few games.

“Red-ball cricket is not my cookie; I don't think my body will keep up with Test cricket,” Russell stressed.

“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 [against England] where they could have turned things around. Playing England at home is always going to be hard for the West Indies,” he noted.

The Texas Super Kings advanced to the playoffs of the inaugural season of Major League Cricket after a three-wicket win over the San Francisco Unicorns in their fifth and final league phase game at the Church Street Park in Morrisville, North Carolina on Monday.

The Unicorns won the toss in the winner-take-all encounter and decided to bat first.

Matthew Wade led the way with 49 while Chaitanya Bishnoi made 35 as the Unicorns posted 171-8 off their 20 overs.

Pacer Gerald Coetzee took 4-31 off his four overs for the Super Kings.

Texas then reached 172-7 with five balls to spare.

Milind Kumar set the foundation for the successful chase with a 42-ball 52 before Daniel Sams hit a whirlwind 18-ball 42 including two fours and four sixes to help seal qualification to the playoffs.

Haris Rauf and Shadab Khan each took a pair of wickets for the Unicorns.

The Seattle Orcas, Texas Super Kings and Washington Freedom have all confirmed their spots in the playoffs.

The final spot will be determined on Tuesday when the Orcas face MI New York. MI New York and San Francisco both have four points with New York ahead on net run rate. MI New York would seal their spot in the playoffs with a win or by avoiding a heavy defeat. If they lose by at least 130 runs, they would finish fifth and the Unicorns would advance.

New Zealander, Devon Conway, hit 74 to help the Texas Super Kings get their second win in three games in Major League Cricket with a 17-run win over MI New York at Grand Prairie Stadium in Dallas on Monday.

The Super Kings won the toss and posted 154-7 off their 20 overs.

Conway’s innings lasted 55 balls and included eight fours and a six. Conway’s countryman, Mitchell Santner, hit 27 in support. Trent Boult and Kagiso Rabada each took a pair of wickets for MINY.

MI New York’s chase then failed to get going after a slow first powerplay where they only scored 32 in the first six overs.

The innings sauntered along before, eventually, they were restricted to 137-8 after 20 overs.

Shayan Jahangir top scored with 41 while Tim David hit 21 and Nicholas Pooran made 19.

Daniel Sams was excellent with the ball for Texas, picking up 2-15 in his four overs.

The Super Kings are now on top of the table with four points from three games.

The Vitality Blast match between Surrey and Glamorgan at Sophia Gardens in Cardiff last Wednesday was a historic one for West Indian off-spinner, Sunil Narine.

While he ended up with relatively pedestrian figures of 1-34 off his four overs to help Surrey defend a mammoth 237, his dismissal of South African Colin Ingram for 11 was extremely significant.

With that dismissal, the 35-year-old Trinidadian became only the third man in history to reach 500 wickets in T20s, joining Afghanistan’s Rashid Khan, who has 555 and fellow Trinidadian, Dwayne Bravo, who leads the way by a mile with 615.

Narine made his T20 debut all the way back in 2011 when he represented Trinidad & Tobago against Hampshire in the Caribbean T20 at the Kensington Oval and has since gone on to represent a number of franchises in leagues across the globe, most notably helping the Kolkata Knight Riders to a pair of IPL titles in 2012 and 2014, taking over 20 wickets in each season.

In Surrey’s next game, which they also won, Narine was back to his best with figures of 3-12 in 2.5 overs.

In total, Narine has taken 503 wickets in 461 matches at an average of 21.01 including 12 four-wicket hauls and one five-wicket haul.

For the West Indies, Narine has taken 52 wickets in 51 matches at 21.25. His last T20 for the West Indies came against India at Providence in 2019.

West Indies left arm seamer Sheldon Cottrell took 3-14 from his four overs to help the Desert Vipers secure a dominant 118-run win over the Abu Dhabi Knight Riders in the DP World IL T20 at the Zayed Cricket Stadium on Friday.

The Vipers took first strike and piled up an impressive 219-4 from their 20 overs thanks to an excellent 59-ball 110 from man-of-the-match Alex Hales which included seven fours and six sixes.

Captain Colin Munro added 56 while Guyanese left hander Sherfane Rutherford contributed a rapid seven-ball 23 including two fours and two sixes.

Sri Lankan pacer Lahiru Kumara was the Knight Riders’ best bowler with 2-31 from his four overs.

Then, despite a fighting 57 off 29 balls from Andre Russell, the Knight Riders were reduced to a paltry 108 all out in just 15.1 overs.

Cottrell was well supported by Sri Lankan leg spinner Wanindu Hasaranga and English medium pacer Benny Howell who took 2-21 and 2-6, respectively.

The Vipers now have three wins in as many games and are top of the table while, on the other hand, the Knight Riders are last with four losses from four matches.

Brian Lara and Chris Gayle will headline several legends who will take part in the first ever RESI Legends T20 game at the Treasure Beach Sports Park in St. Elizabeth on January 15.

The game is being put on by former West indies fast bowler Daren Powell, who is the founder of RESI Legends and will also be playing in the game.

The day’s festivities will kick off at 9:00 am with a match between the St. Elizabeth All Stars and the Manchester All Stars before Lara’s XI and Gayle’s XI square off in the marquee event.

Gayle and Lara will be joined by the likes of Jerome Taylor, Krishmar Santokie, Wavell Hinds, Robert Haynes, Nehemiah Perry, Nikita Miller and Delroy Morgan.

Powell, speaking SportsMax.TV, said that the participation of international players like Sulieman Benn, Daren Ganga, Dave Mohammed, Dwayne Smith, Kirk Edwards, Devendra Bishoo and Narsingh Deonarine was not yet confirmed as he is still seeking sponsorship from airlines to fly them to Jamaica for the event.

Powell, who represented the West Indies in 37 Tests, 55 ODIs and five T20Is from 2002-2009, wants the match to “reignite cricket in the parish of St. Elizabeth,” before emphasizing that the focus of the event is cricket, not charity.

“It’s a cricket event, a legends cricket event that we are putting on. Normally in my life whatever I do, from when I was playing for the West Indies, I contribute to my past school and assist people who need it. In this situation, I’m playing cricket to bring back life to me and life to St. Elizabeth and, in so doing, if there is support from the public and corporate Jamaica, if there so be a case that I can contribute to any entity, I will. My main focus is about cricket.”

He also spoke extensively about the presence of Brian Lara, calling it an opportunity for the development of the parish in more areas than just cricket.

“I thought I was putting on a Cricket match but ever since Brian Lara’s name has been mentioned in it, I have seen whereas it is more than just cricket. It’s about sports tourism also. It’s a good thing for the hoteliers and workers in the parish. It is something that can bear fruit and every entity in Jamaica can benefit from; tourism, sports and locals.”

“Once this game can go off successfully, hopefully we’ll have another one a year from now.”

Cricket fans in Victoria were treated to the full Chris Gayle experience at a T20 exhibition between Endeavour Hills and Queensland team Western Districts at Shepley Oval in Dandenong on Sunday.

Gayle was one of several headliners to line up for Endeavour Hills with former Pakistan international Shoaib Malik and ex-Sri Lankan star Tillakaratne Dilshan.

The West Indies legend rolled back the years, batting the entire 20 overs on his way to an unbeaten 95 runs from 65 balls, with eight sixes to guide Endeavour Hills to a total of 4-167.

It was a continuation from the night before, as Gayle revealed he was out on the town in Melbourne on Saturday night with Jamaican sprint king Usain Bolt.

However, the festivities will be short-lived as the 43-year-old revealed he will only be in Australia for two games.

“It’s good to be here,” he told Australian newspaper The Age.

“I’m here for a good time, not a long time. I’m just here for two games and then that’s it.”

Gayle and some of his teammates’ involvement in the T20 exhibitions for Endeavour Hills has been shrouded in controversy after Victorian Police announced they charged a 35-year-old with 18 alleged theft and deception offences in relation to $250,000 stolen from a company with ties to the event.