Mohammed Ghouse, father of Indian cricketer Mohammed Siraj, passed away due to a lung ailment, in Hyderabad on Friday. He was 53.
Siraj, who is currently in Sydney for the upcoming Test series against Australia, got the news of his father’s demise after the practice session.
The 26-year-old seamer won’t be able to attend the last rites of his father due to strict quarantine rules in Australia, amid COVID-19 pandemic.
“My dad’s wish was always this – mera beta, desh ka naam roshan karna (my son, you should make my country proud). And, I will do that for sure,” Siraj told Sportstar.
“I know what kind of hardship my dad faced in my early days driving an auto-rickshaw to let me pursue my passion for the game. It is shocking. I lost the biggest support of my life. It was his dream to see me play for the country and I am glad that way I could realise that and bring joy for him.
“The coach Shastri Sir and captain Virat Kohli were informed about the news. They just told me to be bold and are lending all the support,” he added.
In the recently concluded IPL, RCB pacer Siraj stunned the cricketing world with his scintillating performance in Abu Dhabi as he ripped through Eoin Morgan-led KKR in their reverse fixture on October 21.
After winning the ‘Player of the Match’ award, Siraj had revealed that his father was not well.
“My dad is unwell these days. His lungs are in bad shape so he has difficulty breathing. I am really worried about that. I can’t even go home to meet and motivate him. I talk on the phone but whenever I do, he starts crying. I can’t even talk for longer hours because I don’t like seeing him crying. So I disconnect the phone early because I can’t hold myself for long. So, I pray to God for his good health. He was admitted to the hospital before the last game. I was really concerned that dad was in the hospital,” he said.
