West Indies All-rounder Andre Russell Prioritizes Playing In BBL; Vows To Come Back Next Year

After playing his last match for Melbourne Star in the Big Bash League on Monday, West Indies batter Andre Russell vowed to return in the next year if possible.

The destructive batter said that playing in the Big Bash League is a priority for him as he is determined to put in a good performance so the coaches "have something to think about" his return next year.

The 33-year-old Jamaican arrived in the BBL for the five-match stint with the Melbourne Stars. Against the Hobart Hurricanes in their last match -- scoring 83 runs at a strike rate of 162, including a blistering 42 not out off just 21 balls in a Player-of-the-Match performance to get the Stars home over the Sydney Thunder in his second match of the tournament.

"I'm really looking forward to cashing in on some good performances for the Stars," Russell said. "This is a good bunch of guys and they made me feel at home and I really want to do something special before I exit this half of the tournament."

Asked if he was interested in coming back next summer, Russell said "of course".

"I always enjoy playing in these conditions, the ball coming on good to the bat. You bowl fast, you get results, so at the end of the day looking forward to play in Big Bash is always a priority. Sometimes West Indies tours and all these things fall (at the) wrong time," he said.

"But I'm happy to be back if these guys want me back, that's why I try and do something special…so they have something to think about."

Russell said he was looking forward to resting up with some time at home before the upcoming series against Ireland and England.

"I wish I could stay longer but at the end of the day it is what it is," he said. "Hopefully I can just get my body a bit of rest -- from CPL (Caribbean Premier League), straight into IPL (Indian Premier League), then the T20 World Cup and now I'm here, so it's been a long way on the road."