Pravin Amre: Prithvi Shaw’s story a case study in Indian cricket | Cricket News
Ex-Delhi Capitals assistant coach Pravin Amre on why Prithvi was ignored by franchises at the auction, which dealt latest career blow to the once-promising batter
MUMBAI: Among those who were left hurting by the dwindling fortunes of Prithvi Shaw, who wasn’t picked by any of the 10 IPL franchises in the auction in Jeddah, is former India batter and ex-Delhi Capitals assistant coach Pravin Amre. In 2018, Amre played a key role in getting the talented batter to DC.
Shaw was dropped from Mumbai’s Ranji Trophy team this season due to poor fitness and disciplinary issues. Ruing the steep decline of a batter who scored a hundred on Test debut in 2018, Amre felt Shaw’s case should be a “case study” on how a bright career can go astray.
“It’s so disappointing to see that a talent like him is going in reverse direction. Someone told me that before he left for Mumbai for the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 Trophy, Prithvi cracked a superb century in a practice match at the Cricket Club of India.
“Even today, he can hit a 30-ball fifty in the IPL. Maybe he couldn’t handle the glamour and money, the side-effects of the IPL. His example can be a case study in Indian cricket. What’s happening to him shouldn’t happen to other cricketers. Talent alone can’t take you to the top. The three Ds – discipline, determination and dedication – are important,” Amre told TOI.
“When he was young, I got him a five-year scholarship with Air India. Three years back, I gave him Vinod Kambli‘s example. I’ve seen Kambli’s downfall from close quarters. It’s not easy to teach certain things to this generation. Thanks to being retained by DC, Prithvi must have earned Rs 30-40 crore by the time he was 23. Will even an IIM graduate get that type of money? When you earn so much at such a young age, you tend to lose focus. It’s important that you know how to manage money, have good friends and prioritise cricket,” Amre said.
It was on Amre’s insistence that Delhi Daredevils bought Shaw for Rs 1.2 crore in the IPL auction in Jan 2018. The franchise, now renamed Delhi Capitals, released him this year.
“When DD bought him, he had just captained the India U-19 team to the World Cup title. Delhi was the first IPL team to really back his talent. At that time, Rs 1.2 crore was a big amount. Next year, he performed well in the first game itself, smashing 99 off just 55 balls against KKR. From that match onwards, Delhi kept faith in him. However, even after backing him for six years, the DC management was left hurt (by Shaw’s off-the-field issues),” Amre explained, adding, “It was his indiscipline which hampered Prithvi’s performance. That hunger to come back and do well was missing.”
The writing was on the wall when DC dropped Shaw for six matches in IPL-2024, in which he scored 198 runs in eight matches. “I was there in the management when we backed him, but I was also in the decision-making group which dropped him due to indiscipline. It wasn’t about punishment, we wanted him to come on the right path,” Amre said. “I hope he takes this IPL auction snub positively. It’s an eye-opener for him. He’s still got age on his side. He’s just 25.”
