Mumbai, July 28: If the leaders are born, then this boy is a born leader. On the cricket field, he looks head and shoulders above the players of his age. Prithvi Shaw, 9, is the star of his school. If Rizvi Springfield High School has won four titles last season, it was because of Prithvi’s all-round skills and leadership qualities.
“He is not only a good captain but also an excellent all-rounder. He reads the game very well,” says his coach Raju Pathak. The Standard V student was the player of the tournament in the Total Vengsarkar Cricket Tournament for the boys’ U-14. His scores were 90, 24 and 101 n.o. He was also the star performer in the Giles Shield.
His talent has not missed the attention of even Sachin Tendulkar. Prithvi received encouraging words from the batting legendat an U-14 camp in the MCA’s Indoor Academy at the BKC. Tendulkar was impressed with his technique and temperament and advised him not to change his style. “It was a dream come true,” recalls Prithvi.
“He told me to stay focused and play my natural game.” Prithvi now wants to be like Tendulkar. Prithvi has also done a shoot with the Little Master. He is seen in an insurance company commercial with the Indian star. Tendulkar has also offered to extend any help Prithvi needed. “It was a great gesture from him,” says his father Pankaj.
If Prithvi shows a maturity that goes far beyond his age, it is because of the hardship he has undergone at such a tender age. He lost his mother when he was only five. He lives with his father in Virar. Cricket for him is a luxury but his father wants to ensure Prithivi gets to play the game he loves.
“He has seen the worst of life so early in his life. The maturity, I think, is because of that. He can withstand any setback,” says father who used to run a garment shop. Having shut the shop, he doesn’t have a permanent source of income but the dotting father wants to ensure every thing is in place for his son’s cricket career. He thanks the school management which has taken care of his career.
Pankaj wants his son to play for India. “We found out his talent when he handled the bat for the first time at the age of two. Everyone told me to make Prithvi a cricketer. I want to make him an India cricketer,” the dotting dad signs off.
–Agencies