The Indian fast bowler, Mohammed Siraj has been producing consistent match-winning performances at the international level. Mohammed Siraj’s rise and the maturity with which he has now been bowling has been nothing short of spectacular. However, it was not all easy for him as the demise of his father while he was in Australia for the Test series shattered him.
Mohammed Siraj was unable to come to India for his father’s funeral as covid-19 restrictions were in place because of which he would have had to do hard quarantine if he had decided to come back to India. Mohammed Siraj talked about how former India head coach Ravi Shastri helped in one of the toughest phases of his life.
In an interview with Boria Majumdar on ‘backstage with Boria’, Mohammed Siraj said, “When my dad passed away, then Ravi sir supported me. He came up to me and said ‘see Miyan, your dad would have wanted you to take five wickets on this tour. I was very emotional, depressed and shattered. I couldn’t understand what was going on. We were under hard quarantine. I couldn’t figure what to do – should I have flown back home or stay here and fulfill dad’s dream.”
He further added, “Then I thought that had I gone back, I would have had to undergo quarantine there as well. So I thought it would be better to continue being in Australia and fulfill my father’s dream. My dad’s dream made me strong during that time. I totally was lost. Due to quarantine rules, being in one room was all we could do. But I still remember that it was what also made me tough and gave me the strength to deal with everything.”
Mohammed Siraj performed brilliantly in the three Tests that he got to play in Australia which helped him establish himself in international cricket.
Recalling the same, Mohammed Siraj said, “In Melbourne, when I stepped onto the ground, it felt like a dream. People have always said the Boxing Day Test in MCG is huge, and I was part of it. Being part of it and receiving your Test cap was a dream. I couldn’t measure my emotions and then I kept thinking that had my father been there, how happy he would have been.”
