Prithvi Shaw’s Vijay Hazare Trophy Exclusion: MCA blames his own attitude and fitness issues

Prithvi Shaw's emotional outburst on social media, following his exclusion from the 16-member squad for the Vijay Hazare Trophy, has sparked a strong reaction from the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA). The association has attributed Shaw's snub to his own conduct, citing his poor fitness, lack of discipline, and problematic attitude.

A senior MCA official spoke anonymously to PTI, revealing that Shaw’s performance on the field had been underwhelming. The official stated that during the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, Mumbai was "forced to hide" Shaw due to his fitness issues. "We were playing with 10 fielders at times, and Shaw struggled to reach the ball," the official said. The official also criticized Shaw's overall discipline, claiming that even his batting was affected, with Shaw struggling to reach balls during his innings.

His fitness issues were compounded by his lack of commitment to training. Shaw frequently missed practice sessions, often showing up at the team hotel early in the morning after staying out late at night. "You would be wrong to think that posts on social media would affect the MCA or the selectors," the official added, suggesting that such outbursts would not change the situation.

Shaw's Mumbai teammate and captain, Shreyas Iyer, also weighed in, stressing the importance of improving his work ethic. "If he gets his work ethics right, the sky's the limit for him," Iyer said. "But we can't babysit anyone. It's his job to sort things out. He has done it in the past, so it’s up to him."

This isn’t the first time Shaw has faced exclusion due to his discipline. Earlier this year, he was dropped from the Ranji Trophy squad for similar reasons and was given a specific fitness regimen to follow at the MCA Academy. According to the MCA official, Shaw failed to adhere to the program, exacerbating the situation.

Once considered a promising young talent, Shaw's career has not lived up to expectations. Despite a memorable debut in 2018, where he scored a century against the West Indies, Shaw has struggled to maintain a consistent presence in international cricket. His ODI and T20 careers have also faltered, with no appearances for India in white-ball formats since 2021. Adding to his woes, Shaw went unsold in the IPL auction despite a base price of ₹75 lakh.

"The only enemy in Prithvi Shaw’s career is himself," the MCA official concluded, reflecting the frustration within the cricketing community over his failure to capitalize on his early promise.