Andre Russell decision to be left late as Jason Holder plays down Jofra Archer meeting

Russell, who has been suffering from knee trouble for some time, limped his way through West Indies’ defeat against Australia, before missing his team’s match against South Africa on Monday

West Indies captain Jason Holder has suggested that any decision on whether to include Andre Russell in his side to face England on Friday will be made as late as possible.

Russell, who has been suffering from knee trouble for some time, limped his way through West Indies’ defeat against Australia, before missing his team’s match against South Africa on Monday, though it was ultimately curtailed by the rain after just seven and a half overs.

“He's progressed nicely over the last couple of days,” Holder said of his fellow allrounder when asked about his chances of facing the host nation at Southampton.

“He is just one of those guys where we give him as much time as he possibly needs, so it all boils down to how he wakes up tomorrow morning and feels.

“Today was our last day to practice and as you can see with the weather we are not able to get outside. Again, it is beyond our control.

“With regards to injuries, we make our final determination tomorrow morning, just giving everybody the best chance to just recover well and be eligible for selection.”

Russell, who had played just one one-day international in four years before the start of this World Cup, has predominantly been used in short bursts in order to protect his troublesome knee. However, he was used in a slightly longer five-over burst in the defeat to Australia last Thursday.

^{Holder made 51 in West Indies' defeat against Australia.}

“With hindsight, it's probably a bit too long,” Holder reflected. “Yeah, he was going well in that game. I kept asking him how he felt. He said: ‘One more, skip, one more, skip,’ so it is hard to deny him.”

Holder also denied that facing Jofra Archer, who is playing against West Indies for the first time, would have a major effect on his own side’s focus.

“I have seen Jofra over the years,” Holder said. Archer played alongside Shimron Hetmyer and Nicholas Pooran  at youth level, while Shai Hope, Carlos Brathwaite, Ashley Nurse, Kemar Roach and Holder himself are all Barbados-born.

“He is obviously a Barbadian,” Holder added. “He's grown up in Barbados playing cricket so what you see of Jofra doesn't surprise me.

“He is one of those guys who has always had ability and talent. It is just unfortunate how things went in terms of his decision-making, but he is a good talent.

“He's English. It is something I can't control,” he added of whether he was frustrated to see a West Indian fast bowler lining up for another team. “I'm not going to worry about it. I'm not going to get flustered over it.

“Our role in this World Cup is to play against England in this game tomorrow and our role is to beat England. I'm not going to get here and just narrow it down to Jofra, Chris Gayle or whoever else. West Indies is playing England tomorrow. West Indies would like to beat England tomorrow.”

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