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First Lancer, nestled at the foot of the upscale Banjara Hills and it’s equally opulent sister Jubilee Hills, is an area where the working class reside in quiet servitude. Most of them work in low-paying jobs – drivers, maids – and keep the wheels going for the rich. The area boasts of a rich history but riches is not the forte of most of them living there.
In this not so exciting setting lies the Eidgah Maidan plainly known as the Maidan. The sprawling ground which is beside the mosque is the perfect place for youngsters to let loose their frustrations and limitations of life and embrace sports especially cricket and football. The Maidan is abuzz with activity from early morning to late afternoon and in the evenings.
The ground is nothing to rave about. There is nothing extraordinary or eye-catching about it. It presents a dreary and bleak scenario reflecting well the lives of the people who have made the area their home. Loose gravel and dust is what one encounters as they step onto the ground but it hides a hard surface underneath. Hundreds of youngsters with a bat and a ball have been making their way to the Maidan dreaming of becoming the next superstar of Indian cricket.
Several years ago, one unassuming teenager was among the many but what separated him from the others was that he had dreams in his eyes, pace in his legs, strength in his shoulders, fire in his belly and more importantly belief in himself. There was no formal coaching, no cricket gear and not even proper footwear but he had a desire and an undying passion to be a cricketer. With a tennis ball in hand, he wrecked havoc and earned a name for himself as a speed demon.
It is said that a man is a product of his environment and Mohammed Siraj is a living testimony of it. In many ways, he is an extension of his beloved Maidan, which is a typical Deccan Plateau surface. The harshness of the ground on which he learnt the game coupled with the toughness of life had forged Siraj into a rock-solid personality. Since his Test debut in 2020 Down Under, Siraj has been rock solid in his performances for Team India. But the credible drawn five-Test series against England was built on this Hyderabad rock as Siraj came of age and out of the shadow of fellow pacer Jasprit Bumrah. He finished the series with 23 wickets – the most by any bowler from either side. More importantly, Siraj drew whopping 283 false shots from the rival batters.
But all this may not have been possible if a fellow cricketer Kaleem, who was also a vegetable vendor, hadn’t asked his friend Mohd Mahboob Ahmed, secretary of Charminar Cricket Club, to have a look at this youngster who can bowl really fast. An impressed Mahboob Ahmed immediately drafted Siraj into his two-day league team. That was in 2014 and the rest is history.
Siraj grabbed the chance with both hands and bowled himself into contention for greater exploits in life – on the field as well as off it. To his luck, former India player Bharat Arun was coach of the Hyderabad Ranji team and Siraj bloomed under his guidance. The partnership continued when both became part of Team India for several years.
Siraj no longer plays at the Maidan but his love for it hasn’t waned. Whenever he is in Hyderabad, he does make it a point to visit the ground and catch up with his old friends with whom he had played the game.
Apart from cricket, one of his dreams was to buy a house for his parents. He has accomplished that as he moved from the rented house in Khaja Nagar to the posh Jubilee Hills. But at heart he still remains a First Lancer lad.
Great inspiration story , Pleasent to hear so .
Amazing to hear such stories .Where there is a will there is a way .Destiny is made also even though surely it may be written .An outstanding series for him .Perhaps this was a God Given opportunity to rise above the ranks especially when Bumrah was not playing for him to show his mettle and quality in his absence and to lead the attack .Hats off and a salute to Siraj , Coach Bharat Arun , his freind the vegetable vendor and the Charminar Cricket Coach .Behind any success story lies the efforts and good intentions of many who may go unnoticed .
Interesting story!!
Brilliant story!