This was a rivetting read, Sarthak. A pot boiler of sorts. Yes, it has been so disappointing to see the talent go to waste. I was a huge Vinod Kambli fan.
Talent buys you time. People keep the door open a little longer than they should, because they remember what they once saw. They remember the sensation from watching hard things made to look effortless. But, at one point, that patience runs out. Prithvi Shaw, at 26, is standing at the edge of it.
Tumne shuru kia Rizvi se aur dehleez pe laa ke chorh dia hum sab ko...to root, nah! pray for Prithvi.
I was wondering when the comparison to Kambli would be made. A pity for both of them. Somehow they slipped in between the middle class stability that others had from their eras and the discipline of the newcomers.
While middle class stability might be true of Kambli's peers, it isn't always true of Shaw's. Many, many players come from much humbler backgrounds than Shaw's. Jaiswal is a bright example.
I wonder if Kambli’s case was more about fame and fragile mental resilience than money alone? Especially in the pre-IPL era, when the financial impact was less significant. Now, though, life-changing money, media glare, and pressure are getting close to what football has dealt with for generations. Best, Gascoigne, and Garrincha are classic examples across eras.
Cricket still feels earlier in its professionalisation of player care and management, so there’s every chance it improves with time, much as football did.
I'd think Kambli's fame also came with substantial money—even if not at today's scale. Mental resilience is accurate. Many years back, Dravid spoke about a holistic description of talent, where we must measure somebody not merely by ball-striking but also their capacity to handle fame.
Re: Best, Garrincha and co, I'd wager they achieved a lot before they started tumbling. I mean, professionalism wasn't as mechanical then, players were allowed more leeway with their private lives, but they still achieved a tremendous amount before falling over. With a couple of these cricket examples, the fall's coming too early. Like, say, Ravel Morrison.
Great read Sarthak. Thank you for writing this. I'm a big fan of Shaw since seeing him bat the first time. Really hope he can turn things around!
Thank you, Vineet! Truly hoping for a resurgence.
This was a rivetting read, Sarthak. A pot boiler of sorts. Yes, it has been so disappointing to see the talent go to waste. I was a huge Vinod Kambli fan.
Thank you, Anish! I caught him during/post the '96 World Cup, but the talent was so obvious. Hope Shaw doesn't go that route.
Talent buys you time. People keep the door open a little longer than they should, because they remember what they once saw. They remember the sensation from watching hard things made to look effortless. But, at one point, that patience runs out. Prithvi Shaw, at 26, is standing at the edge of it.
Tumne shuru kia Rizvi se aur dehleez pe laa ke chorh dia hum sab ko...to root, nah! pray for Prithvi.
Marvellous writing.
Thank you, sirji!
I was wondering when the comparison to Kambli would be made. A pity for both of them. Somehow they slipped in between the middle class stability that others had from their eras and the discipline of the newcomers.
While middle class stability might be true of Kambli's peers, it isn't always true of Shaw's. Many, many players come from much humbler backgrounds than Shaw's. Jaiswal is a bright example.
Beautifully put.
I wonder if Kambli’s case was more about fame and fragile mental resilience than money alone? Especially in the pre-IPL era, when the financial impact was less significant. Now, though, life-changing money, media glare, and pressure are getting close to what football has dealt with for generations. Best, Gascoigne, and Garrincha are classic examples across eras.
Cricket still feels earlier in its professionalisation of player care and management, so there’s every chance it improves with time, much as football did.
Thank you!
I'd think Kambli's fame also came with substantial money—even if not at today's scale. Mental resilience is accurate. Many years back, Dravid spoke about a holistic description of talent, where we must measure somebody not merely by ball-striking but also their capacity to handle fame.
Re: Best, Garrincha and co, I'd wager they achieved a lot before they started tumbling. I mean, professionalism wasn't as mechanical then, players were allowed more leeway with their private lives, but they still achieved a tremendous amount before falling over. With a couple of these cricket examples, the fall's coming too early. Like, say, Ravel Morrison.