New Delhi: Prithvi Shaw has fallen behind the pecking order. It became clear when he was not even given consideration for the Asian Games, which do not have any of the cricketers up for World Cup selections because to schedule conflicts between the two competitions.

The 23-year-old Mumbai hitter, who at 18 became the country's youngest player to strike a century in a Test match, has not enjoyed the kind of successful international career that some may have hoped for. And it's not our fault that people have high expectations.

Shaw was one of the most anticipated young cricketers rising through the ranks about five years ago. Shaw, however, never enjoyed a sustained run in any format due to injuries, behavioral problems, and technical difficulties. He has only participated in five Tests, six ODIs, and one T20I to far.

Also Read: West Indies banking on Sinclair's spin skills to challenge India

Shaw made a comeback in the T20I side for the home series against New Zealand last year after having been out from the Indian setup since the Sri Lanka tour in 2021. However, he was not given a game and was not given a chance to play in the Asian Games or the West Indies series.

Shaw stated he doesn't know why he was cut from the T20I team without playing a game at this pivotal point in his career. He said "When I was dropped, I didn't get to know the reason."

His terrible performance in the IPL 2023 could be one of the main causes. With just 116 runs in 8 games, Shaw was removed from the Delhi Capitals XI. Again, teams targeted him early in his innings with short stuff or massive inswingers, exposing his issues with raw pace and swing.

Shaw admits that there are no fitness concerns despite his obvious disappointment at not being chosen for the West Indies T20Is.

"Someone was saying it could be fitness. But of course, I came here [to Bengaluru] and cleared all the tests at the NCA, again scored runs and again came back to the T20 team. But again didn't get a chance in the West Indies. I'm disappointed but you just have to move forward. I can't do anything, I can't fight with anyone," he added.

In the past couple of years, Shaw's social media posts or stories have frequently made news, but the right-handed opener claims he has no friends and is now afraid to speak his views.

"As a person, I just like to be in my own zone. People say a lot of things about me. But those who know me, know how I am. I don't have friends, I don't like to make friends. This is what's happening with this generation. You can't share your thoughts with anyone else. If you ask me personally, it's very scary. Darr lagta hai aajkal to share my thoughts. Agle din social media mein aa jaata hai (I'm scared to share my thoughts. Somehow all of it comes up on social media). I've very less friends, only a couple of friends, and even with them I don't share everything, only a few things," he added.

Also Read: Gavaskar's Solution : Performance-Based Payments for West Indies

Shaw recorded scores of 26, 25, 65, and 7 in two matches in Bengaluru and Alur, respectively, in the just finished Duleep Trophy, where scoring runs wasn't the easiest of things. The next task for the aggressive top-order hitter is a county job for Northamptonshire. In order to play county cricket instead of the Deodhar Trophy, he has received special permission from the BCCI.

"I just want to take it as any other game. It's just like the first-class games we play here. Nothing huge, just a different experience. Getting an invitation from there means a lot. It's the same - I'll have to go there and score runs for the team because that's what they are expecting from me. Obviously, they have seen me perform and that's why they have called me there. There might be something they think I'm capable of doing. I think I'll have a great time," Shaw said.

Shaw was scheduled to depart by Tuesday, but his trip was postponed owing to visa complications. Beginning in August, he will compete in the remaining one-day matches in the County Championship and The Royal London Cup.

Also Read: New Zealand Cricket Announces Fixtures for Men's and Women's Teams