There are countless stories in sport that redefine human grit, hard work and will power. Cricket is no different. There have been numerous tales of sacrifices, dedication, perseverance and fighting against all odds that define the human spirit and succeed at the highest level.
One such story is that of India pacer Mohammed Siraj, who was born to autorickshaw driver in Hyderabad. With the family struggling and Siraj playing cricket most of the time infuriated his mother, who was naturally worried about his future.
During The Idea Exchange session with The Indian Express, Siraj was asked about an incident when he was rebuked by his mother for not thinking about the future, to which he had replied: "Ek din aisa aayenga ki paise rakhne ki jagah nahi rahegi aapke paas (a day will come when there will be so much money that you would not have a place to store it)."
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To this, Siraj replied: “I remember that day — I was getting a sound beating from my mother when I said that. As usual, I was playing cricket and my mother didn’t like it. She said, I don’t worry about my future. That’s when I asked her to stop beating me and that I would earn so much money one day that there wouldn’t be any place in the house to keep it. I told her, ‘You don’t worry, I will do it.’
“It is said that of all the things one says during a day, one of those things comes true. So that day what I said was accepted by the almighty. Confidence is very important if you want to play top-flight cricket. If you don’t have confidence in yourself, you can’t do anything in life. Only if you have belief, will you achieve the goal you have set for yourself. If you believe that I can bowl a yorker and I will get a wicket, you will succeed. Only if you visualise in your mind, think that if I bowl like this I will get a wicket, you will get a certain confidence to execute it. You also need to train for that. If you train hard, you will be able to execute in the match.”
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From playing cricket in the bylanes of Hyderabad to spearheading India's attack with the new ball, the rise of Siraj exemplifies the human spirit and highlights its perseverance.
The fast bowler, who debuted for India in 2017, received his first Test cap in Australia in 2020 at the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. In barely five years, Siraj is projected as one of the best fast bowlers in the country. A mainstay in all formats, he is also one of IPL's most sought-after pacers, having signed a Rs 12.25 crore deal with the Gujarat Titans at the last mega-auction.
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