A lunch with Irfan Pathan....

Last week there was a party hosted by one of our very good friends and a recent Mother - Smitha in "The Hotel Chancery, Lavelle Road, Bangalore". She was kind enough to take Syam, Reon, Veena and myself to that place, knowing very well the buffet costs 415 there and her budget was a clear 65 Rs short of that price. Just when we were about to fill our plates, I turned towards my right to find someone tall, broad and handsome and who I thought was familiar to me.

Irfan Pathan it was - For a moment I thought it was Yusuf, I really did. Hang on, My cricketing acumen is good enough to differentiate between the two Pathan's. The fact is the younger one's stakes (International Merit, not IPL's) have gone down so drastically and at the same time, the elder one has made a name for himself as a Marauder who can play express short-pitch bowling too.

I quickly gathered my wits and said, "Hi Irfan!!"

He replied with a nice broad smile,
"Hi, How are you?"

I was lost for words and merely managed to say "I'm good, How about you?"

I could have asked him a lot more things, could have asked how his back is responding, how his form is presently, is the swing still existent?. Could have told him "How much I wish he is playing in this WC, how desperate many are to see him back in folds?". I could have reminded him that he is only 26 years of age, has seen the lengths and breadths of success and failure, if he is determined he can easily make his way back. I could have thanked him for the MOM performances in the World T20 finals and that incredible test match in Perth 2008, I should have patted him for the nerveless last over he delivered against Australia in the 2nd finals of CB Series, 2008, I should have said "Well Done" for the Karachi hat-trick which India gloriously wasted, so much I could have done.

But the moment came and went in a hurry, he took his place and walked to a table reserved for him. He munched his lunch all alone, while we were discussing what we could do, take a photograph, autograph or anything else etc!! During lunch he was quietly watching the Duleep Trophy match that was going on LIVE in TV. He really is much better than most of them, he certainly is.


We continued with out Lunch and were talking amongst ourselves on him while Smitha with such innocence that we could associate with her, quizzed:
"Whom are you talking about?"

We said,

"Irfan Pathan, you can see in that table?"

"Yes, He looks tall and handsome - who is he by the way?"

We somehow regained our composure and Veena explained,
"He is the brother of Yusuf Pathan, you know him at least?"

Now that is the height of optimism, I would have never explained her further when she asked who Irfan was at the first place.

After he had left, we were discussing the prospects of how it would have been if we had sent one of the girls to get an autograph. After all he wouldn't have said NO to them, we thought.

We just imagined how it would have been if the girl we sent, happened to be Smitha.

She would have certainly gone to one of the bearers and asked
"Irfan, May I have an autograph please?"The waiter would certainly have been shocked and would have told two things!
"Madam first of all I'm not Irfan! Next, I'm not willing to sign for you"
But she is pretty persistent, you know!! She would have continued

"Please Irfan, I'm a big fan of yours!! Why don't you sign for me?"

It would have been funny!!! And the imagination ends there!

Finally, My best wishes to Irfan - 2011 could be a make or break year for you...Let's not blame Greg Chappell for shaping you into a nearly batsman and a nearly bowler, Let's not blame the selectors for calling you back midway through the 2006 tour of South Africa which really brought your confidence down to earth, Let's blame Irfan Pathan himself for losing the swing, losing confidence without which a sportsman is nothing, gaining needless weight, paying scant respect to fitness.

And, Thanks Smitha for the party, Long live you and importantly your Kid, Mahadev! Thanks Reon, Syam and Veena - it was a memorable lunch we had!

I only wondered how good it would have been if Manish Kumar Singh, one of my best mates had been there with us during the Lunch - He is the best (and only) fan of Irfan I have known!