Prithvi Shaw has seen it all. Hailed as a prodigy, he had taken Test cricket by storm with a debut hundred. In white-ball cricket, specifically the IPL, he made an instant impact. Just when people started saying here is the next big thing in Indian cricket, things started heading south for this talented batter.
Embroiled in multiple off-the-field controversies and after an underwhelming season for Delhi Capitals, Shaw is currently out of favour with the national team. These are times that test young players. How deep is the resolve? Having seen life in the fast lane, can he take a step back and recalibrate? Can he calm down and grind it out to make the most of his talent?
The 153-ball 244 in England’s One-Day Cup was evidence how good he is or can be. On his day, Shaw is a match-winner. His temperament also seems to have changed. There is no big talk and nothing flashy.
“All I want is to score runs. That’s what my job is as a batter. If I continue to score big runs, I am sure things will take care of themselves. I am only focused on doing the best for my team, which is scoring runs,” Shaw told RevSportz from England. Playing for Northamptonshire, he isn’t thinking of getting back to the Indian team. Rather, he is focussing on the present. The future, he believes, will take care of itself if he does that.
“I put myself under pressure in the past and it is not the best thing to do. All I am keen on is the next game, play the best I can and not think too far ahead. I need to get better at a few things. That’s what sport teaches you and I am no different. If I work the hardest and score runs, I am sure opportunities will come. But I don’t want to think about them now. Let me get the process right and only after that should I think of anything else,” he said.
This is a different Shaw from what we had seen. Restrained and composed. It is as if he has matured in the last few months and seems determined to get an image makeover. He wants to shed the brash, flashy image portrayed in the media. At times, this side of his has taken centrestage, pushing his talent to the background. Now, he wants it all back. The double is a strong start in pursuit of that goal.
The interesting part is he isn’t fully satisfied despite smashing records. “In sport you live in the present. The double hundred is done with. The focus is on the next game. I need to be consistent. Not one double hundred and then nothing. The ability to be consistent is what will define my career and that’s all I am focussed on.”
If he gets his act right, at 23, Shaw has a lot to offer. Talent not in question, his temperament led to problems at times. If he sorts that out and succeeds in his mission to be consistent, Shaw can be back in the race he was not too long ago.