‘4 year back, I thought I would leave cricket for good’; Mohammad Siraj recalls how he would burn his hands trying to flip ‘roomali roti’
Hyderabad, March 13
On his 30th birthday, right-arm seamer Mohammad Siraj revealed that before making his international debut he was planning to quit cricket back in 2019-20 to do something good for himself.
In a video posted by the BCCI, the speedster took fans on a tour of his hometown Hyderabad, showing the pitch where it all began for him and his favourite hangout areas. Siraj stated that the ground Eidgah is where he feels tranquil despite going all over the world these days.
“In 2019-20, I thought I was giving myself this last year and after that I would leave the game for good. As soon as I land in Hyderabad, my first thought is that I will go home. After home, I will go to Eidgah. Wherever in the world I go. I don’t get so much peace anywhere, to be honest. Whenever I go there, I get so much peace,” said Siraj.
The 30-year-old said he used to work as a caterer to support his father, who drove an autorick-shaw and was the family’s primary source of income at the time. The pacer admitted that he used to burn his hands trying to flip ‘roomali roti’.
“I used to go to do a catering job. My family would say, ‘son, please study’. I liked playing cricket. We used to live on rent. I would get around two hundred rupees, I was happy. I would keep Rs 50 for myself and give the rest to my family. My hands would burn as I had to flip ‘roomali roti’. But that’s ok. I have reached here after having my fair share of struggle,” the pacer added.
