Mohammed Siraj's elder brother Ismail has said that the pacer wants to pay a tribute to his father with a series win in Australia.
Indian pacer Mohammed Siraj was struck with a tragedy last week when he lost his father. Siraj, who is currently with team Indian in Australia, was given an option by the BCCI to travel back home but he chose to stay with the side.
Siraj, in an interview posted by the BCCI, said that he wants to fulfill his father's dream of "playing for India and make the nation proud."
His elder brother Ismail has now said that the bowler wants to pay tribute to his father and win the upcoming Test series Down Under for him.
Talking to Times of India, Ismail said that Siraj "just cries" whenever he talks to his family members.
“He was very close to my father. Whenever he calls now, he just cries. He doesn’t say anything. He says one-word, ‘Abbu’ and then cries," said Ismail.
"May God give him strength. This is all I want to say. I am also heartbroken, but I have my family and relatives with me. Siraj is totally shattered by this news. He is alone. I keep calling him to give him support.
“Siraj has promised that he will do well in the series and pay a fitting tribute to our father. He wants to win the series for him,” said Ismail.
Earlier, Siraj had also said that Indian captain Virat Kohli's words following the loss has helped him stay afloat.
"Virat bhai said 'Miyaan tension maat le (don't be tense) and be strong. Your dad wanted you to play for India. So, do that and don't stress," Siraj told 'bcci.tv'.
"The skipper told me, 'If you can be strong in this situation, it will only help you'. So those were positive words from the Indian captain and it felt nice."
IThe Test series between India and Australia will begin on November 17, with the first match scheduled to take place in Adelaide.
