Talent sans dedication is a recipe for disaster. And Indian cricket is replete with stories of players losing their ways either due to absence of proper mentoring or because of lack of commitment from the concerned individual to the cause.
From the supremely talented Sadanand Vishwanath to prodigious Vinod Kambli, Indian cricket has lost many a cricketer in this manner. And there are fears now that the exceptionally gifted Prithvi Shaw may be heading the same way after the Mumbai batsman was banned by the BCCI for eight months for substance abuse.
This is the second instance in just over period of one and half years that the young opener has come under scanner for his misdemeanour. The first time, he was sent back home midway through the Australia Test series in the pretext of an ankle injury that he had sustained at the start of the tour. It is now widely believed that Shaw had been asked to leave on disciplinary grounds.
The 19-year-old had to pay dearly subsequently as he missed many international assignments in between. The latest fiasco -- though appears ‘inadvertent’ -- has put paid to his hopes of playing in the home Test series against South Africa and Bangladesh. Whether the BCCI followed the protocol laid down by WADA in such cases is a topic for another debate but the cash-rich Indian Board would do well to ensure Shaw’s doesn’t become another “what could have been” story.
As early as in 2008, Anil Kumble, soon after his retirement, had suggested that Indian players should be educated on how to handle fame and fortune, especially with the advent of the Indian Premier League in the same year.
“There’s so much money in the game now, especially with the India Premier League (IPL),” Kumble had said, emphasising on the holistic development of young players. “Instead of people blaming whatever happens on “too much money” or justifying incidents by saying things happen in the heat of the moment, it’s important that someone ensures that players are given the right kind of advice, that there are professionals to help them cope with fame and the money it brings... Education is essential here and should be made part of the system.”
Kumble had even proposed the ways of going about this exercise but it found little resonance with the mandarins of the BCCI.
Of course, there are greats like Sachin Tendulkar or the current skipper Virat Kohli whose formal education was limited but they remain grounded and focused despite the name and fame they have earned. Those are, however, few and come decades apart. Majority of today’s cricketers, who don’t boast of having higher education, struggle to cope with sudden fame and wealth.
There is no one way to lose direction and purpose. Not too long ago K L Rahul and Hardik Pandya had to be sent back from Australia for their loose talk on women during a TV chat show.
They were suitably embarrassed and punished but since then the two have repented their behaviour and come back stronger. It helped that they had the support system in the shape of their families but not every cricketer enjoys that luxury and that’s where educating them about the pitfalls of overnight celebrity status becomes critical to them remaining disciplined.
The BCCI has for long overlooked this aspect, and it’s time they addressed this issue on a priority basis. With players of the stature of Rahul Dravid at the helm of National Cricket Academy, the BCCI should use his services in building not just good cricketers but characters as well.