Pranav Dhanawade Had 'Attitude Issue', Says Coach of Mumbai's 1009-Run Wonderkid
Pranav Dhanawade, the 15-year-old Mumbai boy, who became the first cricketer to score 1000 runs in an innings, was not serious about his game till recently, according to mentor Mobin Shaikh. But a final warning that he would be thrown out of the academy changed everything, said the youngster's coach.
Pranav Dhanawade's discipline, that helped him bat for nearly 400 minutes on Tuesday for a mind-boggling and unbeaten 1009, was lauded by one and all. However, this discipline came the hard way for the 15-year-old KC Gandhi School student, who became the highest individual scorer in all forms of the game. (Pranav Dhanawade - Son of an Auto Driver Who Crossed the 1000 Barrier)
Pranav was, in fact, given an ultimatum by his coach and mentor Mobin Shaikh a month ago to improve his behaviour and get serious about his cricket, else, get ready to face the boot. Pranav first came to Mobin's Modern Cricket Club in Kalyan when he was five. (Pranav Dhanawade, Mumbai School Cricketer Re-Writes Record Books)
"I was fed up with him (Pranav) and a few other kids at my academy. Often, during warm-ups and practice, Pranav cracked jokes or fooled around. Once, we were playing an all-India tournament in the northern region of India and I noticed him laughing at his own dismissal when the replay was shown on the big screen. I was furious." (Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Sachin Tendulkar Pay Tribute to Pranav Dhanawade's Historic 1009* Knock)
The final warning
"He was never really serious about his cricket. I did not like this casual attitude and had to give them a final warning -'improve your attitude or get thrown out of the academy'," Mobin revealed to Mid-day. The ultimatum worked. In fact, in Mobin's words, "it did wonders."
"I could see that Pranav had started focusing on his cricket thereafter," he said.
Was it surprising to see Pranav score 1000-plus runs? "Not really," said Mobin, a Central Bank of India employee.
"I knew he had the potential to play good cricket. All he needed was some seriousness in his approach. He started working on that aspect in the last few days and I am delighted that he was able to achieve this incredible feat," said Mobin.
Happy-go-Lucky Lad
"Pranav is basically a happy-go-lucky boy. He has a carefree attitude and loves to enjoy his time. I have told him that this knock is history now and tomorrow is a fresh start. He has to start from scratch and work towards achieving higher goals in life."
Pranav, son of an auto rickshaw driver, also had his share of financial hardships, but luckily they were mostly taken care of by his club. "While the club supported him whenever we could, his parents have also been very supportive. Pranav's mother learnt to cook biryani from my wife. She (Pranav's mother) now takes party orders that help his family generate extra income," Mobin concluded.