The Melbourne Renegades are closing in on signing Twenty20 star Andre Russell
Hot on the heels of AB de Villiers and Dale Steyn signing to play in the upcoming BBL season, the big names keep coming. Andre Russell is the latest superstar who is set to feature this summer. But where will he land?
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Andre Russell is on the verge of signing with reigning champions the Melbourne Renegades in a bumper move set to bring the hottest property in Twenty20 cricket back to the Big Bash.
Robbed of $300,000 due to the collapse of the Bangladesh Premier League, Russell has been in deep talks with the Renegades in a bid to mitigate the blow to his bank account.
The deal isn’t quite done, but the West Indian’s expected arrival in Australia for the summer will officially complete the BBL’s resurgence as a destination for the game’s biggest superstars.
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Last season fans and broadcasters lamented the lack of big name international talent, but organisers have lifted their game and Russell is set to join AB de Villiers and Dale Steyn as part of a blockbuster cast.
The Jamaican entertainer otherwise known as “Dre Russ” is the reigning Indian Premier League player of the year and was on Sunday night set to command a top billing of $236,000 at England’s inaugural The Hundred draft.
Russell had a season with the Renegades five years ago, but was last seen in the BBL in 2016-17 during what was a controversial stint for the Sydney Thunder.
There’s no love lost between Australia’s players and Russell after the fiery quick sent down a bouncer in a low-key World Cup warm-up game that hospitalised Usman Khawaja.
News Corp understands Russell received no interest from the Thunder this time around, despite the fact he was part of the western Sydney side’s only BBL premiership triumph.
Russell is a genuine crowd puller, ratings winner and kids favourite, but several T20 franchises, including the Thunder, have struggled in the past with his attitude.
The Thunder were stuck in the middle of Russell’s anti-doping furore, where the 31-year-old was ultimately banned for one year by the Jamaican doping authority for failing to keep his information up to date for testers.
It’s understand the Sydney Sixers also gave Russell a wide berth despite the Bangladesh league’s collapse putting him back on the market.
Russell helped spearhead the West Indies to the last World Twenty20 crown and will be a key part of their title defence this time next year on Australian soil.
The all-rounder is one of the most devastating T20 players with either bat or ball — as well as one of the most athletic fielders in the world — and good judges like Dean Jones believe he is without peer in the shortest format.
Following his drug ban, Russell slimmed down from the hefty frame he carried in his final year at the Thunder and appears to have returned to the top of his game.
Fox Cricket confirmed there has been discussions between Russell and the BBL and are anticipating the arrival of a certified ratings winner.
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“We understand Andre Russell is in the frame for this year’s BBL,” said Fox Cricket general manager Matt Weiss.
“Fox Cricket would certainly love him to make the trip here.
“Having every game of the BBL, we would be able to showcase the skills of one of the great showmen of T20 cricket globally.”
Russell will be a formidable addition to a Renegades side that has already signed Shaun Marsh to bolster its premiership-winning outfit headed by Australian white ball captain Aaron Finch.