Andre Russell goes on expletive-laden tirade, accuses CPL of injustice towards Trinbago Knight Riders in contentious playoff

West Indies all-rounder Andre Russell recently took to social media to voice his frustration over a controversial incident that occurred during the 2024 Caribbean Premier League (CPL) eliminator match. Playing for the Trinbago Knight Riders, Russell expressed his disappointment, claiming that he felt "robbed" following his team's defeat to the Barbados Royals. In a passionate and expletive-laden rant, Russell made it clear that he believed the outcome of the match was unfair.

The match, which was affected by floodlight failure, saw the Royals clinch victory after a revised target was set using the Duckworth-Lewis (DLS) method, thanks to an explosive knock from David Miller.

The controversy unfolded when three out of six floodlights stopped working during Trinbago Knight Riders' innings, with the team at 168/3 after 19.1 overs. The power failure resulted in a lengthy delay, halting play for a significant period. Although the floodlights were eventually restored with 10 minutes remaining before the cut-off time for a five-over match, the Royals were handed a revised target of 60 runs off 30 balls.

Miller then powered his team to victory, scoring a rapid 17-ball fifty.

Russell voiced his displeasure with the situation in an Instagram story, accusing the league of mishandling the circumstances.

"Am not the person to come on the internet and voice my opinion but this year CPL I feel robbed," he said. "This light situation was ****ry. Lights came on just before the cut-off time is also ****ry, and then 60 off 30 balls is also a bigger ****ry, and yes Andre Russell said it right – ****ry a ****ry, but I guess it's just pure ****ry," he vented.

TKR captain Kieron Pollard took a more composed approach following his team’s elimination from the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) 2024. Speaking at the post-match presentation, Pollard explained that the umpires had clearly communicated the necessary conditions for a result, including the minimum number of overs required, the cut-off time, and the consequences if the floodlights were not restored.

He acknowledged that had the lights not come back on, his team would have advanced based on their superior standing in the points table.

Pollard also addressed the discussions around resuming play under insufficient lighting, should the remaining three floodlights fail to be restored.

"Everyone agreed it would be 'dangerous' and in case 'someone was to get injured in that light or whatever the case is, for the sake of cricket then it would have been hard felt by each and every one of us,'" Pollard said.