The Influence of Money: Prithvi Shaw's Coach Opens up on Temptations Leading to Youngster's Downfall

Despite showing early promise, Shaw has been unable to consistently perform at the level expected of him. Once considered one of the most talented young players in Indian cricket, the 24-year-old has failed to garner interest from franchises and has been unable to secure a spot on the national team in the past three years. His recent struggles in domestic cricket have only further clouded the future of his career.

Shaw's childhood coach, Jwala Singh, spoke in detail about Shaw's downfall over the past few years, stating that it “saddens” him to watch the India player's struggles.

“See, it feels disappointing. Prithvi was my first student who played U19 World Cup. The way he started his career, he played Test cricket and scored a century on debut, was man of the series too… the way he started, he was named the next Sachin. Many experts were comparing him. Now, he's getting dropped in Ranji, getting unsold in IPL. It saddens me to see him struggle like that. I advised him a lot as a coach, but to see him like this, it's surprising,” said Singh.

"I saw him as a kid, he used to be very disciplined. Now, I see him having fitness issues, people say he has discipline issues. I haven't seen him physically since 2017; before that, he used to visit almost 2-3 times a week. His devotion at that time, and now I see his pictures, I'm very surprised. He achieved a lot at a young age, and now he's getting unsold, people question his performances.

“But he is still young. He should work hard, have some self-realisation. At 25, he has done a lot. But he needs to work on himself.”

Jwala seemed to indicate that the influence of money, and the big IPL deals played a key role in Shaw's fall, too. The coach insisted that Shaw needs to resist the “temptations” and focus on his game to make a strong comeback.

"Anyone can be influenced by money. We are all human beings. But how you keep track after the money comes is what matters. You need to remain focussed on cricket, your work ethics shouldn't be compromised. You have to develop your game. If you see Prithvi Shaw's game, he is still similar to how he was in the U19 World Cup. He still struggles with the pull shot. He didn't upgrade his game. You need to respect a good bowler, but he didn't adapt.

“Because of IPL, the people who come from humble backgrounds, you get these tempations. You have this phase for 3-4 years, and someone who escapes this phase will succeed. Prithvi hasn't understood it yet. You have a whole life to enjoy,” said Jwala.