Leg and Off: Is Prithvi Shaw being treated unfairly?

Prithvi Shaw's career path is slowly turning into an example for aspiring cricketers in a different sense than expected. The opening batter was touted to be yet another success story from Mumbai, but a series of unfortunate events, a blend of his own doing, and undoing, has made him an outcast across all fronts.

The recent demoralizing blow comes in the form of an omission from the Mumbai squad for the Vijay Hazare Trophy campaign. This comes right after he was unsold in the IPL 2025 Auction, and it is significant for more than one reason. It shows that Shaw has run out of rope, and needs to revamp himself drastically to have a grasp at it again.

The MCA is reportedly fed up with the batter, and the IPL franchises. Former players have come forward with their gems of advice, but the general consensus regarding this matter is that only Shaw can help himself before anyone else can step in.

It is a bad sign that Shaw's social media stories are more in the spotlight than his on-field exploits. He has copped blame from all quarters for his poor fitness, the recurring stream of controversies, and his attitude in general. While the player has numbers to back his case, that is no longer a criterion considering how far off he is in other aspects.

On that note, let us dissect the curious case of Prithvi Shaw, and whether the criticism towards him is justified or not.

#1 Shaw took his ability for granted and neglected the basics

Prithvi Shaw's ability has never been under the spotlight. In his journey as a cricketer, his rare talent has been revered constantly by his colleagues and the coaches that he has worked with. Sometimes, that is more than enough, since ability is the trait in question to represent at the highest level.

However, somewhere along the line, Shaw fatally took it for granted, while failing to realize that talent alone is not enough. The finer aspects like discipline, commitment, and work ethic went for a toss. So much so that his fitness slid from being questionable to downright unacceptable.

In the age of relentless and unforgiving body shaming, Shaw unnecessarily made himself a target. In all fairness, it is a cardinal sin for an accomplished professional athlete to be so out of shape, that it becomes a factor in his selection. Poor fitness and ill-discipline being the reasons for omission rather than comparatively acceptable parameters like poor form or lack of ability, is arguably a shameful prospect for a 25-year-old.

#2 A Mistake is fine, but mistakes are not

Undoubtedly, the most frustrating and gut-wrenching aspect of Prithvi Shaw's case is the free-fall nature of his downfall. Cricketers are humans, so making a mistake is not exactly a career-ending sin, that too at Shaw's age. However, when mistakes tend to come one after the other, and of a similar nature, that is when trouble brews.

In Shaw's case, the first major blow came as a suspension due to a doping violation. While not ideal, it was damage that was well within reparation. However, the repeated misdemeanors, and brawls, along with poor feedback from coaches and management

The people who genuinely want to help him and restore his career have their hands tied since there is no respite, no generation of momentum for Shaw to build upon. As soon as one issue dies, something else springs up, bringing him back to square one. With each setback, his physique and mentality have suffered greatly, making his next comeback even more difficult.

#3 Management was not there for him when he needed them the most

It is hard to pinpoint exactly where Shaw's decline began, especially since the start of his international career was smooth. He transitioned naturally from the youth setup, led India at the U-19 level, got rewarded with an IPL contract, and scored a hundred on Test debut. At that stage, it was so far, so good.

But, a poor outing in the infamous Adelaide Test, where he scored just four runs, turned out to be his final Test appearance, before being dropped. With an average of 42.38 and a strike rate of 86.04, he was forced to sit on the sidelines and watch Shubman Gil have a campaign that he was supposed to have.

The cold-blooded rejection by the management certainly took a huge toll on Shaw. Being out of the playing XI after just one poor match, which is acceptable for someone playing for the first time in Australia, that too against the pink ball, was in hindsight a very unfair call. While India prospered from Gill at the top later on, from Shaw's perspective, it would have been very difficult to understand and process.

Being dropped at such a young age usually means that there is always a pathway to return, especially after scoring runs. While the runs kept flowing from Shaw's bat, a recall never came as he was not even in the pecking order anymore.

Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul, Shubman Gill, and Mayank Agarwal slowly became the pool of players for the opening combination, while Shaw was left out in the cold.

Since then Shaw has played for India only four times, all during the white-ball tour of Sri Lanka with the second-string squad.

#4 Shaw's guides and mentors more responsible for the downward spiral than him

Recently, Shreyas Iyer remarked that it is impossible to babysit someone, and that is quite right. However, cricketers do not need babysitting, but they do need guidance, principally when they struggling to reach the next level.

In today's day and age, a cricketer is never alone, that person is not a single entity. There are mentors, PR teams, and agents, and this is all besides family and friends. It is hard to believe how Shaw has gone astray with such a huge contingent around him. It is their collective responsibility to ensure that the player is focused on the task at hand.

Professional athletes are assumed to be accountable for their actions, and generally, they are. But in some cases, and especially during a tricky age, sometimes they are not. In such instances, it is the task of the people surrounding the player to make him aware of that and steer him in the right direction.

At the end of the day, the player himself holds the key to his fate, future, and fortune, but questions have to be raised against the group surrounding him, as to why he was given the leeway to be familiar with the wrong path.

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