Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2019-20: Suspension period was a learning experience, says Prithvi Shaw
On his return to competitive cricket, India player Prithvi Shaw sparkled with a quick-fire knock of 63 runs in 39 balls to contribute handsomely in Mumbai’s win over Meghalaya in the ongoing Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy.
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In a talk with Mid-Day, Shaw explained how time off the pitch helped him get his focus entirely on cricket. According to Shaw, being mentally strong was the key to a successful return to the big stage. He accepted his fault of consuming a banned substance but wanted to look at the brighter and bigger picture, keeping in mind a return to the Indian team. He said,
"This period [of suspension] has been a big learning experience for me… Obviously, I committed a mistake. I had no idea what I was consuming. In that period, I was alone and was trying to stay away from people and their advice. I kept telling myself that I can get out of this mess and be mentally strong.”
"I got a lot of love and support from a lot of people. There obviously was a period where I was not feeling too well. But then, as the day of my return drew closer, I started to get my act together. If I had gone into my shell at that point of time, I would have felt pressure during the game. I committed a small mistake, now all that is in the past."
Shaw spent time at the National Cricket Academy under his former Under-19 World Cup-winning coach Rahul Dravid and also shared nets sessions with certain Indian bowlers. Shaw stated,
"A lot of focus was on training under Rahul sir's guidance. I had to clear the yo-yo test. What also helped was that during the practice nets, good bowlers like Kuldeep Yadav, Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Varun Aaron were available and Rahul sir was always there for guidance and sorting out mental issues."
Shaw remembered the tough times during the initial part of his ban but kept himself psychologically and physically stable to overcome this setback. He explained that the excitement before his first match after the ban was palpable in the dressing room and was full of emotions. He said,
"I never thought something like this would happen. I was obviously upset. For the first 20-25 days after I was banned, I was not able to make any sense of things. After that, I stabilised and kept myself mentally strong. Each day was hard… I was desperate to play a game. I was excited about today's game and what better than a victory. I'll keep scoring runs; this is my job."
Shaw received an eight-month suspension for consuming a prohibited substance, which ruled him out of competitive cricket until mid-November of this year. Soon after the ban, he issued the following public apology.