Mohammed Siraj's mother regrets discouraging his cricketing dreams

The rise of Mohammed Siraj to the highest level of Indian cricket is a story that exemplifies the fruits of hard work and persistence. Siraj comes from very humble backgrounds – his father drives an auto rickshaw while his mother earns a little something like a domestic helper. His elder brother though is a bright student, pursuing his studies in engineering.

Mohammed Siraj had a dream of one day running up to bowl for India to another international cricketer. There were massive hurdles, the most obvious ones being financial. Moreover, he was often discouraged and even scolded by his mother. But in spite of all the obstacles, Siraj is now an Indian cricketer.

The right-arm fast bowler hit success the moment he bagged a T20 contract worth Rs 2.6 crore during the IPL. He went on to make his India T20 debut against New Zealand in Rajkot the same year. Of late, he performed brilliantly for India ‘A’ in the four-day format and was tipped to make his India Test debut during the series against the Windies. Siraj remains on the fringes of breaking into the India ODI and Test team.

Siraj’s miraculous rise has taken his family, especially his mother Shabana, 44, by surprise. Speaking to midday.com, she said, “I would scold him and instill fear in him — all to give up cricket. I wanted him to concentrate on academics. Padega toh kuch paise bhi kama lega [If he studies, he can earn some money as well].”

“There was always a financial crisis at home and I didn’t want Siraj to waste his time in cricket. We didn’t have anyone who played the game in our family. We were concerned about his future, but I can’t believe how well he has come up in his game,” she added.

A mother’s regrets

The youngster had to play his cricket in hiding. Only his brother knew the location of the ground where he trained and played. “We would wake up in the morning and discover Siraj is missing at home. Irrespective of whether it was raining or the weather was oppressive, he would be playing cricket. Ek junoon hai [cricket is an obsession for him],” Siraj’s mother Shabana said.

Many have gone on to achieve success despite the odds stacked up against them. Mohammed Siraj is one such individual as far as Indian cricket is concerned. In retrospect, his mother now regrets having scolded him because he prioritized cricket over his academics.

“I feel bad. I have apologised to him as well. I did not realise that you can live a successful life through cricket too. For us, it was just a game, not a means of life. But I am glad my son has made a career in sports. We cannot thank Allah enough for blessing my son with so much talent and skills. I am a fan of only one cricketer and that’s my son,” she concluded.

For all the latest cricket news and other updates follow CricTracker.