He is one of the great stories of our times. In fact, it isn’t wrong to say that each time we see Mohammed Siraj run in and pick up wickets for India or in the IPL, each one of us starts to feel good about sport. Having studied sport for a living, it isn’t wrong to say that one of my favourite picture-postcard moments will forever be when Siraj was handed the Indian flag at the Gabba in January 2021, and asked to lead the Indian victory lap. The entire team followed him and for that one instant, cricket became the symbol of the India of our dreams. Siraj at the Gabba had ceased to be a Muslim or a Hindu. His religion did not matter. He had been appropriated and consumed by the vision of Indianness that we all believe in, and credit must go to the entire team for giving us this moment to cherish. They had demonstrated to one and all their secular credentials and the ideals that they believe in.
Here was a young man from Hyderabad who had lost his father, but was unable to come back to his family, bringing smiles to millions of faces with his illustrious teammates cheering him on. He wasn’t Muslim or Hindu. He was Indian. Not the toxic India that plays out every day on national television. Not the India deeply divided by privilege and underprivilege. This was an India of hope and an India that dares to dream.
Siraj isn’t the most eloquent. He need not be. What he is and will be is what our country is all about. Hard work and more hard work, with dignity and integrity. Such effort does pay off.
And this IPL could well be the making of Siraj the white-ball cricketer. With the World Cup just months away, it is a huge opportunity for him to stake a claim. “Everyone wants to play a World Cup for the country,” Siraj had said sometime back. “I am no different, and will do all I can. When you play for your country, you want to do well, and when it is the World Cup, it is like a dream.”
Also Read: Phil Salt opens up on verbal exchange with Mohammed Siraj
And that’s where the altercation with Phil Salt sticks out like a sore thumb. To gesticulate and get over-aggressive isn’t the Siraj we love or admire. Such over-the-top aggression isn’t needed on a cricket field. Pointing fingers and having a go at the batter will not help Siraj get better. In fact, he has enough skill to get Salt or, for that matter, any other batter out. We have seen that time and again this IPL. By crossing the line and getting over-aggressive, Siraj could end up doing himself more harm than good. And as a role model for millions, it isn’t an example he will be proud of going forward.
As Indian cricketers, each of these men are invested with additional responsibility. They are followed every minute of the day, and their every action decoded on social media. Within minutes of the Salt altercation, Siraj was trending on Twitter. While the RCB fans had started to abuse Salt, the truth is that such actions aren’t good for the sport. That’s what Siraj needs to keep in mind going forward.
No one, Siraj included, can be bigger than the game, and that is the reason why we talk about the spirit of cricket. The players sign a pledge, and are committed to following certain behavioural norms on and off the field. To cross those boundaries and lose your cool is counterproductive, and a bad look for the sport.
Siraj, for me, is the embodiment of all that is good about cricket. More than winning or losing, sport is about values. It is a life lesson, and that’s what makes sport what it is. Siraj, it is known, has placed his country above all else, and in doing so, had fulfilled the wishes of his late father. And his new-found stardom did not change him.
In a matter of months, his world changed. All of a sudden, he had it all. Money, fame, and the media glare were all knocking on his doorstep. But Siraj the person hadn’t changed. He was the perfect example of dreams turning into reality, and proof of what Indian cricket is capable of. And that’s where the Salt gesture doesn’t go down well. For his sake and for the welfare of Indian cricket, we hope he stays away from such altercations in the future.