The former Indian cricket team coach Greg Chappell has written an emotional letter to Prithvi Shaw, who has been in the news for the wrong reasons following his exclusion from the Mumbai Ranji Trophy team. Shaw had come into the limelight in 2018 after leading India to win the U-19 World Cup. Shaw also scored a hundred on his Test debut against the West Indies in Rajkot.
Fast forward to this day, Shaw was even dropped from the Mumbai squad for the ongoing round of the Ranji Trophy due to ‘poor fitness’. He had last donned the India cap for an ODI in Sri Lanka in 2021 but had featured in Tests last during the tour of Australia 2020/21.
However, knowing that Shaw is going through a rough phase, Chappell extended the concern through a message encouraging him to wipe his tears as there could be a shift positively in crushing illusions such as these in several instances of careers.
A letter obtained by the Times of India quoted Chappel as saying, “Hi Prithvi, I understand that currently, you are going through a rough phase, out of the Mumbai team. This may be a bit annoying, and I guess you may feel something like an uncertain calm, but I want to assure you that such instances are more often than not the defining moments for sportsmen, turning around their careers as well as temperaments.”
” I still remember you played for India under – 19, and you were an exceptional player with an X factor who could easily be tagged as one of the most sought-after prodigies in cricketing history. There are few who know what you are capable of, and it’s a matter of time that they will get to see you at your best.”
There was also a reminder from Chappell as to how he himself and cricketer Don Bradman faced team exclusion and rose up again to fight back.
“The letters also stated that defeats occur in every athlete’s story .It is no secret that legends such as Don Bradman got dropped as well and had to claw their way back in. What set them apart was not the ability to sidestep anything dangerous, but the ability to fight back. Looking at my own career, being dropped has to be one of the most, if not the most, humbling but also necessary experiences. It was a wake-up call – every single thing about my game and more importantly, my mindset, needed to be re-evaluated,” added the letter.
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