Prithvi Shaw’s childhood coach Santosh Pingutkar called him a ‘fighter’ and said he believes the batsman will come out of his eight-month suspension stronger.
The Mumbai cricketer’s childhood coach Pingutkar calls the backdated ban a setback.
“He (Prithvi) is a fighter and will definitely come out of it. He has worked hard (to reach the top),” Pingutkar told PTI.
“Definitely the setback is huge, but I have the confidence that he (Shaw) will come out of it,” he added.
The BCCI banned Shaw from all forms of cricket on Tuesday after he failed a dope test. According to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), the 19-year-old ingested a prohibited substance called terbutaline, which is commonly found in cough syrups.
The president of the Indian Federation of Sports Medicine, Dr PSM Chandran does not believe that the drug would have helped the Delhi Daredevils batsman.
“I don’t know if it will really help a cricketer, especially a batsman who has to run across 22 yards. In marathons and cycling you have to take in more air, but in cricket it is very rare that a player is in such a situation or endurance is tested over long periods. So I don’t find a situation where it would have helped Shaw on the field,” Chandran said.
The backdated suspension started from March 16, 2019, and will be ending on November 15, 2019. The captain of the U-19 World Cup-winning squad will not be available for selection in India’s home series against South Africa and Bangladesh.
Shaw accepted the ban and said the news about his suspension had shaken him.
“I accept my fate with all sincerity. While I am still nursing an injury which I suffered during my last tournament, this news has really shaken me,” Shaw had said in a statement.
“Cricket is my life and there is no bigger pride for me than playing for India and Mumbai and I will come out of this faster and stronger,” he said.
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