“Prithvi Shaw could struggle in England,” says Salman Butt

Former Pakistan captain Salman Butt spoke about the inclusion of Prithvi Shaw in the squad for the five-match Test series against England. Butt is skeptical about Shaw finding success during the series. The youngster’s immobile footwork could prove to be a big hindrance for him against pacers in English conditions.

Prithvi Shaw and Suryakumar Yadav, who featured prominently on the tour of Sri Lanka, have been included in the Test squad as replacements for three injured players. The BCCI recently made the announcement and this is Suryakumar Yadav’s maiden call-up in the red-ball format. While Prithvi Shaw has played five Test matches for India in his career, this will be his first action in the longest format of the sport since being dropped after a disastrous tour of Australia.

Shaw has roared back to form in 2021 in white-ball cricket and has been very impressive during the Vijay Hazare Trophy as well as the IPL. He also looked to be in good touch against Sri Lanka, especially in the first match but was guilty of throwing away his wicket rather carelessly on a couple of occasions.

Salman Butt has opined that Shaw will struggle in England because of his lack of footwork. The moving Duke will be a proper challenge to face and the senior players in the side might have to help the youngster.

“Prithvi Shaw has an opportunity in England to prove why many people rate him so highly. But he could struggle in England given that his footwork is not all that good. In England, even batsmen with the best of footwork sometimes have a tough time, especially when the ball swings,” Salman Butt said in his YouTube video.

The former Pakistan captain also said that Shaw needs to show restrain in England. Going hard after every ball won’t do the job for him and he needs to be careful about picking the balls to hit. This is where he expects the senior members of the side in Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and Cheteshwar Pujara to intervene and help Shaw re-purpose his approach.

“Prithvi Shaw is someone who likes to go hard at the ball and play brutal strokes. It is evident the way he bats that he enjoys belting the ball. But in England you have to be a bit careful. You cannot just take on the bowlers without taking into account the movement and the conditions. Prithvi Shaw will have to review this aspect of his game.

“World-class players like Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and Cheteshwar Pujara are part of the Indian team in England. They should give Prithvi Shaw the right information on how to play in England. Hopefully, he will adjust. If he doesn’t, you will see what happens,” he concluded.