'You have to score big runs': Former Pakistan skipper on Prithvi Shaw's comparisons
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Former Pakistan skipper Salman Butt talked about the comparisons and said that the young batsman needs to get more consistent in order to be compared.
Prithvi Shaw's brute playing style has earned him several comparisons with Batting greats Virender Sehwag and Viv Richards. The 21-year-old was under a lot of criticism for his batting display during the Australia series, however, the young gun bounced back.
His performance in IPL 2021, and the ongoing Sri Lanka tour helped him make his jump to international cricket. But he is yet to score big for the Men in Blue. Former Pakistan skipper Salman Butt talked about the comparisons and said that the young batsman needs to get more consistent in order to be compared.
“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,” Butt said on his Youtube channel.
“Look at the gap between Richards and Sehwag’s careers. It took nearly 10-15 years after Richards for the cricket world to see a player with a similar attacking mindset in Sehwag. Richards scored 180 in England at a time when 225 was considered a good ODI total. Sehwag scored two triple hundreds in Test cricket and averaged over 50 for most of his career. Just by playing like them, one cannot become a Sehwag or a Richards. You have to put up that kind of a performance.”
“To give himself stability, a youngster has to convert starts. Talking of Prithvi Shaw, I saw him playing one-dayers for India in New Zealand as well. He used to hit three-four cracking boundaries and then get out. So, when something is not letting you continue and stopping you from making a big score, you need to modify it. You first need to score runs and then shape up in your own style,” Butt continued to say.
“He has all the strokes in his repertoire, but Prithvi Shaw is playing too many shots too early. He needs to take into consideration factors like time, pace, wicket and opposition and manage his innings accordingly. Even the great Sachin Tendulkar paced his innings as per the situation,” Butt added.