For Mehmood Pathan, a muezzin at Vadodara’s Juma Masjid, Tuesday night’s prayers before breaking roza had a special significance. Hours after his son Irfan called to tell him of his nine-wicket haul against Bangladesh in the Under-19 tournament at Islamabad—a one-day world record at any level—Mehmood prayed at the very place where it all began. It was on the cobbled floor of this masjid that five-year-old Irfan would knock a tennis ball against the walls after his father’s morning azaan. ‘‘He used to wake up at 5 am and accompany me to the masjid with a plastic bat and tennis ball,’’ recalls Mehmood. While many missed Irfan’s initiation to cricket in the mohalla, today he was the talk of Manvdi where the Pathans stay. ‘‘When I went to the masjid for namaaz in the evening, I was unaware of the big news. But after the prayers, I was flooded with congratulations,’’ says the 60-year-old Mehmood. Brother Yusuf says his mother Samima and sister Shagufta asked him to scan all news channels to find out how his brother fared. But they learnt of the record only when Irfan called. ‘‘This is the holy month of Ramzaan. But today is very special. He seemed very happy on the phone and asked for my blessings,’’ says the mother. But the excitement is understandable as Irfan, a left-arm pacer and a useful batsman, owes a lot to his support system. For a muezzin who earns Rs 1,200 a month, it was really tough to raise two sons who wanted to pursue serious cricket. Brother Yusuf, who too has played the Ranji Trophy for Vadodara, recalls how he and his brother used to search the Juma Bazaar on Sundays to get discarded bats, pads and gloves. ‘‘They were in tatters most of the time but mother would stitch them and then we would pack them in our kits,’’ he says. By the time Pathan was 10, he was too good for mohalla matches. He wanted to play serious cricket at the Baroda Sports Club. ‘‘Honestly, I didn’t even have the money for his bus ticket. But somehow with help from wellwishers, I saw to it that both my sons got to play serious cricket,’’ says the father. Irfan’s first bat was a gift from his uncle Ahmed Miya Sheikh, batting gloves and socks came from Nayan Mongia. And a contribution of Rs 4,000 from friends and coaches at the Baroda Sports Club was a help when Pathan was selected for a national under-15 tournament. So what did Mehmood pray for today? He is quick to react. ‘‘I prayed tonight to give him strength and skill so that he may one day play for Hindustan.’’ And that day isn’t far. National selector Kiran More says: ‘‘The best part of his bowling is his attitude. More importantly, he is a thinking bowler. And he isn’t just a bowler but also a very competent batsman.’’ Irfan’s show at Lahore isn’t a flash in the pan. He has represented the country at virtually all age categories and is a regular with the India A side. His nine-wicket haul today ended with a hat-trick. But even that isn’t a first for him. The 19-year-old has already two international hat-tricks to his credit: at u-15 Asia Cup and u-15 World Cup. Will he be on the plane to Australia with the Indian team which already has two left-arm pacers? More, who is also the Baroda Cricket Association secretary, would not comment. But he is sure of one thing. ‘‘I want him desperately for Baroda’s opening Ranji Trophy game against Mumbai on November 7.’’ That’s just a day after the under-19 final against Sri Lanka.
