Genius in the time of hate and bloodshed
Interview: Sheela Bhatt
They say there is a lot of politics in cricket, did you face any?
Yusuf Khan: No -- whoever performs cannot be touched.
Is there a disadvantage of any kind to being a Muslim?
Yusuf Khan: No, why there should be any problem? All types of communities live in Hindustan. Irfan's goal is to play good cricket, to
perform well and to help India win.
How about his studies?
Shamim Banu: He is yet to appear for his standard 12 exams -- he never gets the time. But he says he wants to study further. All his life, he has studied in Gujarati medium schools, and has changed schools many
times to play cricket.
Mehboob Khan: It is Allah's grace that he has picked up English so well; he learnt it during a training camp in Bangalore, and living
and traveling with the Indian team has helped. Now he speaks even better than
boys educated in English-medium schools.
Shamim Banu: Irfan is good in studies, his writing is very impressive. His favourite subject is mathematics. I must say though we never thought of any alternate career for Irfan -- we always knew he would be a
cricketer.
He has never given us any reason to be disappointed in him; he has played so well throughout. The hard work is paying off -- when he was
younger, and we had social functions to attend, both boys would say Mummy, we are not coming, we want to practice. If we don't work hard, Rashid Sir (his coach) will be angry.
Mehboob Khan: The two boys never joined us for any of the functions, marriages and such. Kuch pane ke liye kuch khona padta hai (To gain something you have to lose something).
Shamim Banu: The two boys were always together. They were not particularly naughty children -- they spent most of their time playing cricket, and sometimes they would try boxing just for fun.
Mehboob Khan: The only time I had to spank Irfan was when the two brothers were fighting inside the mosque. I had to remind that that it is a place of worship.
Part II: 'In India, even the sons of billionaires play cricket, but they don't get into the national team. What did I have? Nothing but a broom'
Also read: 'I am khadoos on the field'
Irfan Pathan with his parents Shamim Banu and Mehboob Khan and his brother Yusuf Khan. Photograph, courtesy the Pathan family