At the age of 14, Vaibhav Suryavanshi is living a dream life. Armed with an IPL contract worth Rs 1.1 crore, the second fastest century in the league’s history and good success in the U19 Indian side, the batter has seen a meteoric rise. However, former India coach Greg Chappell has thrown caution to the wind by warning that pushing Suryavanshi too hard in the earlier stages could spell a doom to his career.
Chappell’s warning to BCCI over Suryavanshi
In his column for ESPNCricinfo, Chappell urged the BCCI to not pressurize Vaibhav and allow him to go down the same track as Vinod Kambli or Prithvi Shaw did. Both the aforementioned stars displayed immense potential in their prime but sadly went wayward. As a result their careers, which took off on a high note, came to a rather abrupt end.
“Tendulkar succeeded as a teenager not simply due to talent but because of a solid support system – a stoic temperament, a wise coach, a family that protected him from the circus. On the other hand, Vinod Kambli, equally talented and perhaps more flamboyant, struggled to balance fame and discipline. His fall was as dramatic as his rise. Prithvi Shaw is another wunderkind who has fallen but may yet find a way back to the pinnacle,” Chappell wrote.
Responsibility of coaches, BCCI & media
The ex-India coach pointed out that it was the responsibility of the franchises, the BCCI and the coaches to ensure that Suryavanshi was protected and guided in the appropriate manner.
“It is incumbent on the cricketing ecosystem – the BCCI, the franchises, mentors, and the media – to protect Suryavanshi. Talent must be guided, not glorified; nurtured, not just marketed,” Chappell added.
Vaibhav still fragile
Chappell further noted that Vaibhav Suryavanshi was still a child, his identity still “fragile”. He flagged the threat over popularizing his talent to an extent where it could take a toll on the teenager.
“At 14, Suryavanshi is still a child – physiologically, neurologically, emotionally. His brain is still wiring itself, his values still forming, his identity still fragile. In that context, such acclaim, such expectation, such public adulation, can become a double-edged sword,” Chappell wrote.
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