Cricket fans call out ICC chief Jay Shah for ignoring Siraj’s efforts in India’s Test win

Jay Shah, the chairman of the International Cricket Council, has upset a large section of cricket fans for overlooking Mohammed Siraj's contributions in India's famous win over England in the second Test match at Edgbaston.

After India crushed England by 336 runs, Shah put out a congratulatory post on the social media platform X. In his post, Shah singled out captain Shubman Gill, Akash Deep, Ravindra Jadeja and Rishabh Pant, but did not mention Siraj, who claimed seven wickets in the match.

"An outstanding Test match showcasing the depth and resilience of Indian cricket. Shubman Gill’s 269 & 161 were innings of rare quality, while Akashdeep’s 10-wicket haul marked a breakthrough performance. Valuable contributions from Jadeja and Rishabh Pant added to a well-earned team win," Shah posted.

The majority of the responses to Shah's post pointed to the fact that Siraj's contributions with the ball were too good to be ignored. The Hyderabadi bagged 6/70 in the first innings, which was massive as India bowled out England for 407 to take a solid 180-run lead. The pacer struck an early blow in the second innings by dismissing opener Zak Crawley to finish with a match haul of 7/127, which was only bettered by Akash Deep (4/88 & 6/99).

Shah was the former BCCI chief before being appointed to the ICC chair. Siraj was the only Muslim in India's playing XI in the second Test match.

Though Shah forgot, almost every celebrity cricketer took note of Siraj's contributions. Sachin Tendulkar posted: "The biggest change I’ve noticed in Siraj has been his accuracy and consistency in landing the ball in the right areas. His persistence has been rewarded with 6 wickets," Sachin posted after the first innings. The maestro also likened Siraj to South Africa's legendary fielder Jonty Rhodes for taking a brilliant diving catch to remove Josh Tongue in the second innings.

"Great victory for India at Edgbaston. Fearless and kept pushing England to the wall. Brilliantly led by Shubhman with the bat and in the field and impactful performances from everyone. Special mention to Siraj and Akash for the way they bowled on this pitch," posted retired Test player Virat Kohli.

Another former captain Sourav Ganguly too was impressed. "What a performance from Shubman Gill and his team.. with the bat and now with the ball..Akashdeep and Siraj just brilliant .Indian attack looking far superior than the English attack .. Akashdeep and Siraj are workhorses. India win without Bumrah..Can’t be better result with the fantastic Gill in charge. What a fantastic batting effort..," Ganguly posted.

Former opener Virender Sehwag too lavished praises on the bowling unit comprising Siraj. "Outstanding win in Birmingham. While this should be remembered as the Shubman Gill Test match for his incredible 430 runs, but the efforts from Siraj in the first innings and Akash Deep in both innings on a surface which didn’t have much for the bowlers was an outstanding effort. Well done team," Sehwag said.