AS he enters the final leg of a glittering international career, West Indies cricketer Andre Russell says a major regret is that he was not given the chance to impact the longest form of the game.

The 37-year-old all-rounder is set to end his West Indies sojourn against Australia on Tuesday at Sabina Park in Jamaica, in the second Twenty20 (T20) contest of the five-match series.

A fiery pace bowler, big-hitting batsman, and athletic fielder, the Jamaican won the ICC T20 World Cup with West Indies in 2012 and 2016.

Russell made his Test debut away to Sri Lanka in November 2010, toiling away on a batter-friendly pitch for one wicket in a drawn encounter — most memorable because of Chris Gayle’s monumental, career-best 333.

That match turned out to be Russell’s lone Test opportunity.

After debuting in One-Day International (ODI) and T20 cricket in March and April, respectively, of 2011 he rapidly emerged as a global star of the white-ball game.

Playing Test cricket was no longer a priority for him, and chronic injuries limited his West Indies representation to the shorter formats even as cash-rich franchise leagues crammed his schedule.

However, Russell told the Jamaica Observer that he once had a great desire to be front and centre in the cut and thrust of gripping, five-day action.

“At the time when I was in the Test set-up I wanted to play so badly. I think they didn’t give me the opportunities when I wanted it the most,” he said during an interview at Sabina Park on the eve of his retirement.

“I made my debut on a pitch that wasn’t fast bowling friendly, playing in Sri Lanka in Galle. It was a flat, flat wicket. I was bowling 90 miles per hour in my first spell but I realised I couldn’t fight that wicket. I just needed to get the ball in the right areas.

“But there were other wickets when I went on tour with the West Indies, and [I was] seeing how green those wickets looked — like you could really run in and bend your back, bowl some good areas, and get some guys caught in the slip,” he explained.

In first class cricket — the traditional stepping stone for Test aspirants — Russell played 17 matches and scored two centuries, including a highest of 128, at an average of 26.47. He has an impressive bowling average of 20.44 for his 54 wickets at that level, highlighted by a best of 5-36. His last first class outing was in 2014.

He has played 84 T20 Internationals, accumulating 1078 runs at a breathtaking strike rate of 163.08 with a top score of 71. He has claimed 61 wickets in the format.

Russell’s 2019 50-over World Cup stint was his last in ODIs — a format in which he featured 56 times for the West Indies, tallying 1034 runs at a strike rate of 130.22 and a best of 92 not out. He took 70 wickets in ODIs.

He noted that in his prime his attributes as a cricketer were tailor-made for success in the Test arena.

“I swing the balls both ways. I was enjoying first class cricket, enjoying the opportunity to play Test cricket, but not playing pushed me away.

“I wanted to play Test cricket, to bat in the middle overs — I have two first class centuries. I enjoyed batting in that format, in no rush… and it challenges your technique as a player. It is sad that I didn’t get more opportunities in Test cricket,” he said.