Exclusive: Our mother wanted Siraj to fulfil father’s dream, says Ismail

Dubai - Images of Siraj trying to hold back the tears during the national anthem melted hearts on Thursday

Indian pace bowler Mohammed Siraj admitted that his father’s memory made him emotional when the national anthem was being played at the start of India’s third Test against Australia at the Sydney Cricket Ground.

Images of Siraj trying to hold back the tears during the national anthem melted hearts on Thursday.

It has been a difficult time for the 26-year-old player from Hyderabad who could not return to India due to the strict quarantine rules in Australia after his father, Mohammed Ghouse, passed away on November 20.

It was a tough decision to make, but in the end Siraj decided to stay back with the Indian team because it was his father’s dream to see him play for the country in Test cricket.

“During the national anthem, I just remembered my father. That is why I felt a bit emotional. Dad always wanted to see me play Test cricket. If he would have been alive, he would have seen me,” Siraj said at the end of first day’s play in the third Test match in which he took the wicket of David Warner.

And Mohammed Ismail, Siraj’s elder brother, revealed that it was their mother, Shabana Begum, who asked Siraj to stay back and fulfil his father’s dream of playing for India in Test cricket.

“It was a very emotional moment and a very tough situation. Siraj was willing to come back to Hyderabad. But keeping in mind the strict quarantine rules, my mother asked him not to come back. So she asked him to stay back in Australia and fulfil his father’s dream of playing Test cricket for India,” Ismail told Khaleej Times over phone from Hyderabad.

Having warmed the bench in the first Test, Siraj made his debut in the second Test at the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground where he played a key role in India’s stunning eight-wicket victory with five wickets.

“It is incredible what Siraj has achieved in just a short span of time, especially when you consider the fact that he was not even playing cricket with a leather ball until 2015,” Ismail said.

“He was only playing gully cricket (street cricket) with a tennis ball in local tournaments. Then he gradually started playing in A Division cricket where he picked four-five wickets in every match, paving the way for his inclusion in the Hyderabad Ranji team. Soon he was playing in the Indian Premier League,” Ismail said of Siraj’s meteoric rise.

“Then he played for India in one-day and T20 formats. But for all of us in the family, our dream was to see him play for India in Test cricket. It was my father’s dream to see him play in Test cricket because Test cricket is the greatest format of the game. Representing the country in Test cricket is the greatest honour.”

And Siraj’s match-winning performance on his debut Test was an emotional moment for the family.

“Everybody was happy when he helped India win in his first Test, but at the same time, it was an emotional moment for us because our father would have been so happy to see him play Test cricket for India,” Ismail said.

Ismail credited their mother for Siraj’s mental fortitude, having delivered an outstanding performance at the highest level despite the pain of losing his father.

“He is mentally very strong, just like our mother,” Ismail said.

“It’s because of our parents’ hard work and sacrifices that he has reached this stage now in his life!”