‘Always knew Siraj was special’

When you see him on the field, you know he gives his 100 per cent. We have seen this as a motivation for us as well. That works in his favour which puts him ahead of shami. He always goes for the wicket

By CV Milind

When I see Mohammed Siraj performing so well on the international stage, I feel very proud that someone from Hyderabad is doing very well for the country.

When he first burst on to the scene itself I knew that he was special and someone who is going to play for the country and for a long time. With someone like him or Tilak (Varma) you know that they are special. Siraj is blessed with fitness as well. I am sure he takes care of his body more now as knows the importance of fitness.

When we saw him for the first time, he was very raw and was not focused on his fitness. But he had a lot of energy which helped his game. But now he has become careful about his fitness routine. He is understanding his body and taking care of it. The way he warms up before bowling and also cools down after, he is ticking all the boxes. That is the major difference over the years.

He is also someone who is playing domestic cricket and for India for a long time now. He adapts to the conditions very well. That is his specialty. With the new ball, he is bowling better than anyone else right now. Even in the middle and at the death overs, he got variations like a yorker, bouncer and slower balls. When Jasprit Bumrah was not there (with injuries), he was leading the attack. Now he has become such a vital cog. When you see him on the field, you know he gives his 100 per cent. We have seen this as a motivation for us as well. That works in his favour which puts him ahead of Shami. He always goes for the wicket irrespective of the situation. If he is playing, he wants to make an impact. That is a special trait in him.

Siraj prospered under coach Bharath Arun sir. He knows how to handle each bowler. Arun sir used to say to Siraj, ‘you are not bowling fast, but like a spinner’.

That would motivate Siraj to bowl with extra pace.

He always had pace. He becomes dangerous when he wants to bowl with extra pace. Now, he has played a lot of cricket. I think he is managing his pace and workload well. In T20 he exerts more pressure and bowl at 140 kmph. In ODIs and Tests, he bowls according to the situation. That helps him sustain longer spells.

It is also a big motivation for us teammates in Hyderabad and also for the youngsters in the city. When you have players from our city playing for the country, everyone is motivated. With the new administration doing well, it is a matter of time before any other youngster comes and plays for the country.

Writer is a Hyderabad Ranji Trophy and RCB player