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Irfan Pathan: Tough times can either break a person or see him emerge stronger

The Pathan brothers were in Mumbai to launch Cricket Academy of Pathans (CAP).

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Yusuf Pathan and Irfan Pathan at the launch of their academy © Getty Images
Yusuf Pathan and Irfan Pathan at the launch of their cricket academy. Picture courtesy: Sudatta Mukherjee

The Pathan brothers, Irfan and Yusuf, launched Cricket Academy of Pathans (CAP) in Mumbai. Nishad Pai Vaidya spoke to the brothers about their journey, the lessons and the thought behind launching this initiative.

The Pathan brothers’ story is nothing short of a fairytale. As young kids, growing up in the humble bylanes near a mosque in Vadodra, Yusuf and Irfan dreamt of making it big — representing the country at the highest level. The boys made their treks to school on a bicycle and then worked their way to various cricket grounds in pursuit of that dream. Though they had to endure a tough time chasing their dream, they overcame all that and ultimately watched it materialise. It is a story of triumph of human spirit and will-power.

Despite the modest upbringing, the brothers were quite content in their childhood. “Our father would say that he is very lucky. But, we say that we are very fortunate that we had such parents. We never complained. Whatever state we were in, our father never denied us anything. We were quite content. But, our father was a step ahead and would provide us everything,” says Irfan.

That very experience has given the brothers the strength to take on the world. “What you go through, the experience, is something we will always remember. We learnt quite a lot from that. But, that time is gone and what lies ahead is good for the kids and there are good things happening. What we went through, the upcoming kids should not and we want them to get good facilities so that they can improve,” says Yusuf.

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Hence, Yusuf and Irfan have launched the Cricket Academy of Pathans (CAP) — an initiative through which they aim to give back to the game and help build careers in the country. Their vision is to have all the necessary facilities at the academy — which would include a nutritionist, a psychologist etc. It isn’t only about developing their game, but also the other aspects that play a crucial role in the growth of a cricketer. Greg Chappell, the Australian legend, has designed the modules for this academy, which would be handed down the various coaches. They aim to setup such academies in schools with the right infrastructure, starting with their home town Vadodra.

Looking back at his past, Irfan explains, “The tough times either break a person or he breaks through it and moves ahead. So through this academy, if anyone is going through a tough time, we want to provide all facilities, be it nutrition or the psychologists. We want to provide all this, so that nothing is left behind.” Since debuting in 2003-04, Irfan has seen many ups and downs. Drawing from that experience, he has learnt the importance of maintaining ones fitness with the right diet and a sound state of mind.

But, international cricket is a different ball game. There are times when a youngster has to perhaps unlearn a few things and readjust to the rigours of the demanding format.  “The basics don’t change. It also depends on every person and the kind of facilities you get around you. Support system at any level is very important. It of course depends on person to person, but if an individual gets things from an early age, it gets easier than before,” Irfan says.

In their time at the top, both Yusuf and Irfan have travelled around the globe to witness different cultures in terms of training. Yusuf says that they had to go to many places to learn certain things and their endeavour is to help the youngsters learn it at the academy. “We want to bring together all those cultures and take it to the children. We have seen and learnt a lot. We want to get all that together and send it to the students. To do certain things, I had to go to many places,” Yusuf says.

“In our academy, we have a psychologist who will help them in the mental aspect of the game. I encountered a psychologist many years after I played for India. I want the kids to know this from the beginning. If they know it then, it would help strengthen their basics. If that is strong, they will grow not only as cricketers, but as people. We know that not everyone can play at the highest level. But, you can use this experience and grow in other fields,” said Irfan.

At the launch in Mumbai, many scribes quipped that academies are normally started by players who have retired or close to calling it a day. Irfan affirmed that the bothers have a good five to seven years of cricket ahead of them and they are eyeing a comeback to the Indian team. For now, they will only oversee things at the academy.

(Nishad Pai Vaidya is a Correspondent with CricketCountry and anchor for the site’s YouTube Channel. His Twitter handle is @nishad_44)

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