“Prithvi Shaw enjoys belting the ball but in England you have to be a bit careful” - Salman Butt
Former Pakistan batsman Salman Butt has stated that young Indian opener Prithvi Shaw could face a challenging time in England in the Tests unless he makes adjustments to his game.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Monday confirmed that Prithvi Shaw and Suryakumar Yadav, who are in Sri Lanka, will be heading to England to join the Indian Test squad as injury replacements. While Shaw has played five Tests, Yadav is yet to make his debut in the longer format of the game.
During an interaction on his YouTube channel, Butt admitted that Prithvi Shaw may be troubled by the moving ball due to his lack of footwork. He stated:
“Prithvi Shaw has an opportunity in England to prove why many people rate him so highly. But he could struggle in England given that his footwork is not all that good. In England, even batsmen with the best of footwork sometimes have a tough time, especially when the ball swings."
Butt added:
"Prithvi Shaw is someone who likes to go hard at the ball and play brutal strokes. It is evident the way he bats that he enjoys belting the ball. But in England you have to be a bit careful. You cannot just take on the bowlers without taking into account the movement and the conditions. Prithvi Shaw will have to review this aspect of his game.”
The former Pakistan skipper explained that experienced players like skipper Virat Kohli will give Prithvi Shaw the right guidance and he needs to incorporate those suggestions into his game in England. Butt said in this regard:
“World-class players like Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and Cheteshwar Pujara are part of the Indian team in England. They should give Prithvi Shaw the right information on how to play in England. Hopefully, he will adjust. If he doesn’t, you will see what happens.”
Wrong to compare Prithvi Shaw with Virender Sehwag and Viv Richards: Salman Butt
In an earlier interaction, Butt had opined that it was wrong to compare Prithvi Shaw with greats like Virender Sehwag and Sir Viv Richards so early in his career.
According to the former Pakistan opener, the youngster needs to score big runs consistently and should only then be compared to legends. He elaborated:
“Some fans feel it is wrong to ask Prithvi Shaw to alter his game. They point out to Virender Sehwag and Viv Richards, who succeeded by playing their own brand of cricket. When you start producing results, you can stake a claim to a particular style of play being yours. You have to score big runs and hundreds to justify a different kind of mindset while batting.”
Prithvi Shaw made his T20I debut in the first game of the three-match series against Sri Lanka but was out for a golden duck.