Prithvi Shaw could struggle in England given that his footwork is not good: Salman Butt

India and England are all raring to face each other for the first Test match, starting from August 4. Ahead of the start of the series, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) had announced that Prithvi Shaw and Suryakumar Yadav, who are currently with the Indian side touring Sri Lanka, will replace the injured players in the Test side. The former Pakistan captain Salman Butt, however, expressed his opinions on Shaw and his success in the Test series against England.

Prithvi Shaw has featured in five Tests for India so far and has returned to the side after getting dropped in Australia. He has been on roll in white-ball cricket, producing some impressive performances. But Salman Butt feels that his footwork might create some concerns for the batter in the English conditions. According to Butt, given an opportunity, Shaw will have to shape his game according to the conditions and that the senior players in the side will play a crucial role in helping him out for the same.

“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. 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.” Salman Butt said in his YouTube video.

You have to score big runs and hundreds to justify a different kind of mindset while batting: Salman Butt

Prithvi Shaw is known for his belligerent display with the bat. More often than not, the opener gets going from the first ball itself and has developed his game as an attacking one. Thus parallels are drawn between him and the likes of Virender Sehwag and Sir Viv Richards on the similar kind of style they possess. Salman Butt feels that before being compared to the greats of the game, Shaw needs to convert his good starts to match-winning knocks and make tweaks to his game if necessary.

“Some fans feel it is wrong to ask Prithvi Shaw to alter his game. They point out to Virender Sehwag and Viv Richards, who succeeded by playing their own brand of cricket. When you start producing results, you can stake a claim to a particular style of play being yours. You have to score big runs and hundreds to justify a different kind of mindset while batting” Butt added.