Mohammed Siraj pays tributes to his late father on arrival from Australia

Hyderabad: Cricketer Mohammed Siraj, soon after returning from India’s Australia tour, went to pay tributes at the grave of his father Mohd Ghouse. The 26-year-old straight away drove from Hyderabad airport to the graveyard in Khairtabad to pay homage to his father on Thursday.

Siraj lost his father Mohammed Ghouse, an autorickshaw driver on November 20, a week or so after the Indian team landed in Australia.  

The fast bowler was given the option of returning home but he chose to stay back with the team for the series. The decision to remain with the team Down Under showed his determination to succeed and also fulfil his father’s dream.

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With 13 wickets, Siraj was India’s highest wicket-taker in the memorable 2-1 series win on Tuesday.

Siraj remembered his late father after taking his first five-wicket haul in the final match of the series.

Expressing his views after achieving success, he said, “First of all I need to thank God that I got this opportunity to play for India. It was my dad’s desire to see his son play with the entire world watching him play. Wish he were here to see this. He would have been very happy. It were his prayers that enabled me to take five wickets today. I am speechless, have no words to describe this”.

Earlier, the Hyderabad-based fast bowler had gone emotional when the national anthem was being played at the Sydney Cricket Ground at the beginning of the third test match.

Siraj later revealed that his late father’s memory brought tears to his eyes. “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 had said.

With agency inputs