Indian pacer Mohammed Siraj must have seen both the great and the worst aspect of life, more so as an international cricketer when he was locked in Australia for an all-important series and could not decide to come back to his home to see his father for the last time in a span of 10 days, but he is holding it on and getting on with the life showing exemplary mental toughness and commitment to the game and his country.
What really helped him calm his nerves and anxieties after suffering a heartbreaking tragedy in the loss of his father was the advice from his skipper Virat Kohli who advised him to stay strong and fulfil his father’s dream of him playing for Indian in the blue jersey. Siraj said that the advice he got from Kohli were words of positive energy and it helped him refocus on his own game.
"Virat bhai said Miyaan tension mat le (don't take stress) and be strong. Your dad wanted you to play for India. So, do that and don't stress. "The skipper told me, 'If you can be strong in this situation, it will only help you'. So those were positive words from the Indian captain and it felt nice," Siraj told 'bcci.tv' on the sidelines of India's training session in Sydney.
However, Siraj could not hold back the emotions for his father whom he credited for all his success and journey so far in the Cricketing world. He sounded motivated to live his father’s dreams and shine on the big stage to make him feel proud. Siraj also spoke highly of his Indian teammates, who he said supported him in probably the toughest phase of his life.
"It's a huge loss for me as he was the biggest support system of my life. He wanted me to shine for my country and my mindset now is to fulfil his dreams. "I am indebted to my teammates as they stood by me in these tough times and everything was well taken care of,” Siraj added.
Mohammed Siraj has a long career ahead of him if he gets it right, especially in the white-ball format. He is rated as one of the bright prospects for the future of Indian cricket and the tour of Australia could just be the start of something special for both him and his family who has been jolted by the loss of his father.
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