Kin miss Irfan's moment of glory

<div class="section1"><div align="left" style="position:relative; left: -2"><table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="2" align="left" border="1" width="35.6%"> <colgroup> <col width="100.0%" /> </colgroup> <tr valign="top"> <td width="100.0%" colspan="1" rowspan="1" style="" valign:="" top="" background-color:="" fbfbfb=""> <div class="Normal"><script language="javascript">doweshowbellyad=0; </script><br /><img src="/photo/356014.cms" alt="/photo/356014.cms" border="0" /></div> </td> </tr> <tr valign="top"> <td width="100.0%" colspan="1" rowspan="1" style="" valign:="" top="" background-color:="" fbfbfb=""> <div class="Normal"><span style="" font-size:="">Caught Ahmedabad, bowled Vadodara</span></div> </td> </tr> </table></div> <div class="Normal">VADODARA: Everybody was talking about the awesome Aussie run-machine Matthew Hayden''s wicket at the Juma Masjid in Vadodara on Friday.<br /><br />But it was not because the most prolific batsman in <a href="/articleshow/354654.cms" target="_blank">international cricket</a> had been dismissed cheaply.<br /><br />It was because 19-year-old local hero Irfan Pathan had claimed his first wicket on debut.The ball shaped away from the batsman, who nicked it to wicket-keeper Parthiv Patel.<br /><br />Someone even remarked Hayden was caught Ahmedabad, bowled Vadodara.<br /><br />The elation, however, was tinged with a little sadness. The Pathan family will have to wait for yet another day to watch their son bowl to the mighty Australians. The family did not get to see Irfan''s <a href="/articleshow/353800.cms" target="_blank">moment of glory</a> as the cable service provider in the area does not show the sports channel.<br /><br />Ironically enough, an Irfan Pathan fan from Mumbai called up to inform the family that Pathan had been included in the <a href="/articleshow/354391.cms" target="_blank">playing</a> eleven and had scalped an important wicket.<br /><br />So, while Irfan''s idol Wasim Akram and other cricketing greats like Sunil Gavaskar and Greg Chappel spoke in glowing terms about him on television, all his father could do was receive phone calls.<br /></div> <div align="left" style="position:relative; left: 0"><table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="2" align="left" border="1" width="71.9%"> <colgroup> <col width="49.1%" /> <col width="50.4%" /> </colgroup> <tr valign="top"> <td width="100.0%" colspan="2" rowspan="1" style="" valign:="" top="" background-color:=""> <div class="Normal"><span style="" font-size:="" font-weight:="" bold="">PEOPLE WHO READ THIS STORY ALSO READ...</span></div> </td> </tr> <tr valign="top"> <td width="49.1%" colspan="1" rowspan="1" style="" valign:="" top="" background-color:="" e3f1ff=""> <div class="Normal"><img src="/photo/356015.cms" alt="/photo/356015.cms" border="0" /><span style="" font-size:=""> </span><a href="/articleshow/355724.cms" target="_blank">Family misses Irfan''s moment of glory</a></div> </td> <td width="50.4%" colspan="1" rowspan="1" style="" valign:="" top="" background-color:="" e3f1ff=""> <div class="Normal"><#img src="/photo/356015.cms" alt="/photo/356015.cms" border="0" /><span style="" font-size:=""> </span><a href="/articleshow/355447.cms" target="_blank">No toy boys for British Indian women</a></div> </td> </tr> <tr valign="top"> <td width="49.1%" colspan="1" rowspan="1" style="" valign:="" top="" background-color:="" e3f1ff=""> <div class="Normal"><#img src="/photo/356015.cms" alt="/photo/356015.cms" border="0" /><span style="" font-size:=""> </span><a href="/articleshow/354747.cms" target="_blank">Google''s search ends in India</a></div> </td> <td width="50.4%" colspan="1" rowspan="1" style="" valign:="" top="" background-color:="" e3f1ff=""> <div class="Normal"><#img src="/photo/356015.cms" alt="/photo/356015.cms" border="0" /><span style="" font-size:=""> </span><a href="/articleshow/355855.cms" target="_blank">''Why SMS Antartica, not Karachi?''</a></div> </td> </tr> </table></div> <div class="Normal"><br /></div> </div><div class="section2"><div class="Normal">But that did not stop Irfan''s father, Mehmoodkhan Pathan, from getting details of the match. A fan from the Macchipeeth area told Mehmoodkhan that his son would even have picked up Ricky Ponting''s wicket had it not been for Virender Sehwag''s dropped catch. However, he was not critical of Sehwag.<br /><br />Mehmoodkhan was obviously elated by his son''s feat, but was understandably irritated with the cable service. "I met the cable operator and demanded the channel be made available," he said.<br /><br />"I was informed by my wife that my son had already picked up the first wicket. She was very excited. She told me that a fan had called up from Mumbai to inform us about Hayden''s wicket. Can you believe it? He took Hayden''s wicket," his voice filled with pride.<br /><br />Thrilled by the debut, Mehmoodkhan adds, "There was a time not long ago when I would scout the market for second-hand shoes and cheap bats so that my son could play. I will cherish this moment forever."<br /><br />And may be Irfan''s family will get to see his exploits. While Mehmoodkhan was talking to TNN, a bystander told him, "My cable provider shows the match. Why don''t you come to my place tomorrow?"<br /></div> <div align="left" style="position:relative; left: 0"><table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="2" align="left" border="1" width="71.9%"> <colgroup> <col width="49.1%" /> <col width="50.4%" /> </colgroup> <tr valign="top"> <td width="100.0%" colspan="2" rowspan="1" style="" valign:="" top="" background-color:=""> <div class="Normal"><span style="" font-size:="" font-weight:="" bold="">PEOPLE WHO READ THIS STORY ALSO READ...</span></div> </td> </tr> <tr valign="top"> <td width="49.1%" colspan="1" rowspan="1" style="" valign:="" top="" background-color:="" e3f1ff=""> <div class="Normal"><#img src="/photo/356015.cms" alt="/photo/356015.cms" border="0" /><span style="" font-size:=""> </span><a href="/articleshow/355724.cms" target="_blank">Family misses Irfan''s moment of glory</a></div> </td> <td width="50.4%" colspan="1" rowspan="1" style="" valign:="" top="" background-color:="" e3f1ff=""> <div class="Normal"><#img src="/photo/356015.cms" alt="/photo/356015.cms" border="0" /><span style="" font-size:=""> </span><a href="/articleshow/355447.cms" target="_blank">No toy boys for British Indian women</a></div> </td> </tr> <tr valign="top"> <td width="49.1%" colspan="1" rowspan="1" style="" valign:="" top="" background-color:="" e3f1ff=""> <div class="Normal"><#img src="/photo/356015.cms" alt="/photo/356015.cms" border="0" /><span style="" font-size:=""> </span><a href="/articleshow/354747.cms" target="_blank">Google''s search ends in India</a></div> </td> <td width="50.4%" colspan="1" rowspan="1" style="" valign:="" top="" background-color:="" e3f1ff=""> <div class="Normal"><#img src="/photo/356015.cms" alt="/photo/356015.cms" border="0" /><span style="" font-size:=""> </span><a href="/articleshow/355855.cms" target="_blank">''Why SMS Antartica, not Karachi?''</a></div> </td> </tr> </table></div> <div class="Normal"></div> </div>