Why are sons of legendary cricketers always compared with their fathers? Virender Sehwag has made his feelings clear, saying it is not fair to judge young players against what their fathers achieved in cricket.
The discussion comes after Virender Sehwag’s son Aaryavir recently played for India U19 against Australia U19. The 18 year old scored 109 runs across the three match Youth ODI series as India won 3-0.
Sehwag believes these comparisons will always happen because the fathers have already achieved so much in the game.
However, he feels their sons should be compared with other young cricketers rather than with their fathers.
According to Sehwag, Aaryavir has only started his cricket career, while he had already achieved a lot for himself and India by the time he was established in the game.
He also said such comparisons can affect young players when they constantly see their performances being measured against their fathers.
But Sehwag did not stop with his own son. He also spoke about Arjun Tendulkar, who has faced comparisons with his father Sachin Tendulkar throughout his career.
Sehwag pointed out that Arjun is a fast bowling all-rounder and has already produced good performances in domestic cricket, including a century and a five-wicket haul in the Ranji Trophy.
So, why should Arjun’s career be judged against Sachin’s batting numbers?
Sehwag believes Arjun should be allowed to create his own identity and play cricket in his own way.
He also feels young players should first be given time to perform before comparisons with their fathers begin.
The comparisons are not limited to Arjun and Aaryavir. Rahul Dravid’s son Anvay is also part of the India U19 setup alongside Aaryavir.
For Sehwag, the point is simple let the next generation play first. They should get the chance to build their own careers before being judged against their famous fathers.
