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“Celebrating Life”
By Moody Marty | Opening Doorz Editorial | December 11, 2024 Bove, Shaw, and Tendulkar have hogged the headlines this past week, albeit for different reasons. All are from the […]
By Moody Marty | Opening Doorz Editorial | December 11, 2024
Bove, Shaw, and Tendulkar have hogged the headlines this past week, albeit for different reasons. All are from the world of sports, and all have gone viral, globally. Edoardo Bove due to a terrifying incident on the football field in Italy, Prithvi Shaw for his career trajectory and Kambli-like comparisons, and Arjun Tendulkar for trying his hand at a sport where it’s clear he may not have the necessary talent.
It’s frightening how he collapsed without any contact, similar to Christian Eriksen from Denmark. The positive takeaway, however, is the immediate medical attention he received on the field. Within nine minutes, he was in the hospital and placed in an induced coma. The latest reports suggest that a defibrillator has been implanted. That would likely end his dream of playing in the Italian league, and perhaps soccer in general, but physically, he should be able to live a healthy life.
Eriksen, after being fitted with a defibrillator, continues to play. Argentina’s Sergio Agüero had to retire after a heart issue was detected. Cristiano Ronaldo, against the odds, continues playing at age 39 with a ripped physique, despite having had heart surgery as a teenager.
However, Wilf Slack wasn’t as fortunate. The English cricketer tragically passed away on the field, while batting, during a match in 1989.
When Shaw played his first Test match, the headline read, ‘Prithvi Launched’. That was exactly six years ago, and surprisingly, Shaw has ballooned physically. No one appears to have guided him on fitness, suggesting he’s surrounded by the wrong people. Fitness is crucial, especially if you’re playing professional sports at the highest level. You can’t expect to play cricket while looking like Arjuna Ranatunga did in the ’90s.
David Boon, Aravinda de Silva, and Arjuna Ranatunga played in an era when there was no focus on fitness. Moreover, fielders didn’t dive to stop boundaries. Our own Ravi Shastri was the first to introduce diving in the Indian cricket team, though admittedly it was after the ball had crossed the ropes. He had the technique, but not the timing. Then came Mohammad Azharuddin, who showed the Indian team the importance of fitness and agility.
Ultimately, it was the South Africans under Bob Woolmer who revolutionised fielding, teaching the cricketing world how to save 25-40 runs in the field.
With Shaw, it’s clearly a case of lacking fitness and discipline. If these two critical elements are missing in an athlete’s life, their career is almost doomed.
Prithvi has the talent, but he has no one to guide him toward focusing on his cricket career. In my opinion, the person who could help Prithvi is Praveen Amre. They know each other well and have spent considerable time together at Delhi Daredevils in the IPL. With Amre’s guidance, I’m confident that the headline, ‘Prithvi Relaunched’ would not be far off.
Arjun Tendulkar’s journey in cricket has been overshadowed by the weight of his surname, but so far, it hasn’t been enough to secure him a spot in any major team. Despite being bought back by Mumbai Indians at the recent IPL auction, his base price reflected the reality—no one else showed any interest. Simply being Sachin Tendulkar’s son doesn’t guarantee a place in the IPL, or any professional cricket league. Talent, not surname, is what matters.
Arjun’s path has been a series of quiet moves—first with Mumbai, now with Goa—but his performances haven’t matched expectations. While there’s no denying that cricketing pedigree can offer opportunities, Arjun hasn’t yet demonstrated the skills or consistency required to break through at the highest levels. His father, Sachin, needs to recognize this reality and step in with some tough love. If Arjun’s future in cricket is to progress, it will take more than family ties. It will require a relentless focus on developing the raw talent that is, at the moment, missing in ‘action’.
Arjun must find his mentor—his ‘Pandit’—someone who will offer more than just advice. His path forward in cricket is turning into a very uncertain career.
The disparity in the bar graph above highlights how differing contexts—health crises, professional performance, or controversies—impact media engagement. The graph represents an estimated level of clicks based on recent media trends, not definitive global click data. These numbers are hypothetical, reflecting relative interest in news articles about Bove, Tendulkar, and Shaw derived from available information.
[Moody Marty: Sometimes funny, sometimes informative, always downright forthright!]
Also Read: Sachin Tendulkar returns to put the fizz back into schools cricket
Also Read: Arjun Tendulkar needs rhythm and fluidity
Image Credits: prithvishaw@instagram | edo_bove@instagram |arjuntendulkar24@instagram
