While Prithvi Shaw's career seems to be derailing fast, the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) has given him a new lifeline. Shaw's apparent lack of discipline led to him being dropped from Mumbai's Vijay Hazare Trophy squad despite good statistics in List A cricket. However, now Shaw has been included to play in another tournament. Shaw has been named in the 18-man squad that will represent the MCA Colts in the 2024-2025 Police Invitation Shield Cricket Tournament. In addition, Shaw has become captain of the team.
While the level of the tournament may be lower than what a player of Shaw's talent is capable of, the decision to include him in the team shows that the MCA is still willing to continue supporting Shaw in some capacity.
Although Shaw was part of Mumbai's victorious Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy team, skipper Shreyas Iyer had said Shaw needed to get his 'work ethic' in order.
After being dropped, Shaw took to social media and said, “Tell me God, what else do I need to see.”
However, in the wake of these statements, anonymous sources within the MCA have revealed the reasons behind Shaw's dismissal. While the main concern was Shaw's fitness, an unnamed source also told PTI that Shaw could no longer be babysat and that he often missed training sessions after staying out all night and arriving at “six o'clock in the morning ” came back.
“The concerns about fitness are there, but the performance is not there at the moment. He has to work on his fitness, discipline and performance. The most important thing is fitness. You see the matches. You get the picture, right? Just keep watching to his body, the fitness issues are there for all to see,” a source in the Mumbai Cricket Association told Hindustan Times.
The Police Invitation Shield Cricket Tournament could prove to be Shaw's last chance as a cricketer in Mumbai should he fail to seize the opportunity and show signs of improvement in performance and discipline.
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