Mohammed Siraj has become the subject of intense scrutiny and backlash following his fiery farewell to Australian centurion Travis Head on day two of the second Test at the Adelaide Oval. The incident, which occurred after Siraj dismissed Head for an incredible 140 off just 141 balls, has not only caused an uproar in the Australian camp but has also drawn criticism from former cricketing legends. Head himself admitted in a conversation with Fox Cricket after his dismissal that he was “slightly disappointed” by Siraj’s aggressive reaction. “If they want to react like that and if they want to portray themselves like that, then so be it,” said Head, showing his displeasure at the heated exchange.

Siraj’s actions did not go unnoticed by the Adelaide crowd, who responded with boos for the remainder of the Australian innings, with the bowler likely to receive similar treatment when he heads to the crease himself on day three. Many were convinced that Siraj was in the sportsmanship department behavior had crossed the line.

Former Australia captain Mark Taylor has condemned the bowler’s behavior as “disrespect for the game”. Speaking on the Willow Talk podcast, Taylor criticized not only Head’s departure but also Siraj’s repeated “celebratory appeals” in which he celebrates wickets before even turning to face the umpire, often to discover that the batsman is not out. This happened most recently when Siraj thought he had caught Marnus Labuschagne LBW, but the referee ruled that the appeal was not ruled out.

Taylor explained, “I don’t know who instigated this, but it’s not a good look, especially when a guy is doing 140,” referring to Siraj’s confrontation with Head. The former Australian star added: “I would like to see someone have a quick word with Mohammed Siraj.” Taylor, who has always valued aggression in bowlers, expressed concerns about Siraj’s approach. “I like his competitive nature, he’s a good bowler… I don’t like the fact that when he hits a guy on the pads he keeps running up the pitch, past the batsman and he thinks he’s got him out lbw . comes almost to the goalkeeper and then looks around at the referee to see if he’s going to give it out.”

Taylor believes this type of behavior is damaging to the game and should be curbed before it escalates further. “This has to stop and if it doesn’t stop soon, someone – and it will be the umpires or the referee of the game – could stop it for him and give him a match ban. We don’t want that,” he warned.

Rohit, Kohli should talk to him

Taylor also urged senior Indian players, particularly captain Rohit Sharma and former captain Virat Kohli, to speak to Siraj and guide him to behave more respectfully on the field.

“Someone like a Rohit Sharma or Virat Kohli needs to walk up to him and say, ‘Mate, yeah, get excited, be aggressive, look the batsmen in the face, I love all that, but that’s disrespectful to the game and the umpire'” said Taylor recommended.