Mohammed Siraj has become the subject of intense scrutiny and backlash following his fiery send-off to Australian centurion Travis Head on Day 2 of the second Test at Adelaide Oval. The incident, which occurred after Siraj dismissed Head for a blistering 140 off just 141 balls, has not only ruffled feathers in the Australian camp but also drawn criticism from former cricketing legends. Head himself, speaking to Fox Cricket after his dismissal, admitted to being “slightly disappointed” by the aggressive reaction from Siraj. “If they want to react like that, and if that’s how they want to represent themselves, then so be it,” Head said, indicating his displeasure with the fiery exchange.
Siraj’s actions did not go unnoticed by the Adelaide crowd, who responded with boos for the rest of Australia’s innings, with the bowler likely to face similar treatment when he takes to the crease himself on Day 3. The incident has caused a stir both on and off the field, with many believing Siraj crossed the line in terms of sporting conduct.
Former Australian captain Mark Taylor has condemned the bowler’s behavior as “disrespecting the game.” On the Willow Talk podcast, Taylor took issue not only with the send-off of Head but also with Siraj’s repeated “celebrappeals,” where he celebrates wickets before even looking back at the umpire, often to find the batter not out. This happened most recently when Siraj thought he had trapped Marnus Labuschagne LBW, only for the umpire to rule the appeal as not out.
Taylor stated, “I don’t know who instigated it, but it’s not a good look, particularly when a guy makes 140,” referring to Siraj’s confrontation with Head. The former Australian great further added, “I’d like to see someone have a little word to Mohammed Siraj.” Taylor, who has always valued aggression in bowlers, expressed concerns over Siraj’s approach. “I like his competitive nature, he’s a fine bowler… I don’t like the fact that when he hits a guy on the pads, and he thinks he’s got him out LBW, he continues to run down the pitch, past the batsman, almost gets to the keeper and then looks around to the umpire to see if he’s going to give it out.”
Taylor believes this kind of behavior is detrimental to the game and should be reined in before it escalates further. “That’s got to stop, and if it doesn’t stop shortly, someone – and it’ll be the umpires or the match referee – might stop it for him, and give him a game off. We don’t want that,” he cautioned.
Rohit, Kohli should have word with him
Taylor also urged senior Indian players, particularly captain Rohit Sharma and former captain Virat Kohli, to have a word with Siraj and guide him toward more respectful conduct on the field.
“Someone like a Rohit Sharma or Virat Kohli needs to go up to him, and say ‘mate, yeah be excited, be aggressive, get in batsmen’s face, love all that, but that is disrespecting the game and the umpire,'” Taylor suggested.
