Shabana, Mohammed Siraj's Mother Regrets for Taking a Wrong Decision
Published - 13 Oct 2018, 04:02 PM | Updated - 22 Aug 2024, 11:56 PM
Team India fast bowler, Mohammed Siraj is passionate about playing cricket while his mother, Shabana regrets discouraging the pacer from putting cricket before academics in the earlier days. Meanwhile, Mohammed Siraj’s father is an autorickshaw driver, his mother is a domestic helper, and his elder brother is a bright student who is pursuing his engineering.
Siraj waiting for his ODI, Test cap
However, living a lower-middle-class family life and passion for sports would naturally take a backseat. But Mohammed Siraj continues to live with his dream to become an Indian pace bowler. Later, in 2016, Siraj signed a T20 contract worth Rs 2.5 crores for Sunrisers Hyderabad.
Meanwhile, Siraj also made his T20 debut for India against New Zealand in Rajkot in the same year. Since then, he is waiting to get the ODI and Test cap.
Moreover, Mohammed Siraj has improved a lot in the recent past and also surprised his mother Shabana with his bowling capabilities. However, no one in his family had ever played cricket in their lifetime.
“I would scold him and instil 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,” she recalled.
Furthermore, Siraj’s mother is delighted with the way Mohammed Siraj entered into the cricketing world, and the way he’s trying to make a name for himself.
“We were concerned about his future, but I can’t believe how well he has come up in his game,” Shabana added.
However, Shabana found herself guilty, as she used to scold her son for choosing to play cricket and not preferring studies over it.
“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,” Shabana concluded.
