Published: May 21, 2021, 01:51 PM (IST)
Edited: May 21, 2021, 01:51 PM (IST)
Former Pakistan captain Salman Butt cites the reason behind young India opener Prithvi Shaw’s lack of consistency with the bat. Shaw is ranked amongst the brightest future prospects of Indian cricket as he announced his arrival on the international stage with a century in his debut Test against West Indies.
Despite a promising start to his international career, Shaw failed to cement his place in the Indian team due to a lack of consistency. The 21-year-old has played 5 Tests so far, in which he scored 339 runs. The young starlet was exposed by Australian pacers in the Border-Gavaskar Test series last year.
However, the Mumbaikar bounced back with some extraordinary form in the Vijay Hazare Trophy this year where he slammed record-breaking 827 runs in the season. Shaw continued his golden form in the 2021 Indian Premier League for Delhi Capitals as he scored 308 runs in 8 matches at an average of 38.50.
Butt feels that Shaw plays too many early in his innings which forces him to make errors despite the plethora of talent he posses.
“There is no dearth of talent in Prithvi Shaw and he has scored runs. But I still believe he is playing too many shots too early because of which he lacks consistency. Usually, they (India) go in with stable players, who are more dependable and those who mould their game accordingly. So far, we have seen that Prithvi only plays one way. He plays his shots,” Butt said on his youtube channel.
The former Pakistan skipper further claims that KL Rahul will be the first-choice opener for Team India in the upcoming T20 World Cup.
“They currently have a set-up wherein KL Rahul opens. He also keeps wickets and that’s an added advantage for him because he’s a pure batsman who does wicketkeeping, so he brings more balance to the team. The captain has a choice to play either an extra bowler or an extra batsman or whatever he wants to do. So, I feel he will be the first choice,” he added.
