IPL cricketers offer prayers at local mosque

RAIPUR: Hundreds of Namazis at the Moudhapara Mosque, Raipur, were in for a pleasant surprise this afternoon when they found in their midst cricketers, Irfan Pathan, Shahbaz Nadeem and Mushtaq Ahmed for the Friday (Jumuah) prayers.
Despite the efforts of the local police and the Mosque authorities to keep their visit a secret affair, the news about the arrival for the cricketers spread like wild fire in the Moudhapara area and thousands of people gathered there to have a glimpse of the sporting stars.The trio spent about half an hour at the Mosque and offered Namaz in the front row.
Dressed in the traditional white kurta-payjama the trio arrived at the mosque at about 1.15 PM and wore their taqiyahs (skull caps) after removing their shoes outside the mosque. Security personnel in civil dress and some mosque officials led them inside and spontaneously hundreds of hands were extended to have a touch of the heroes. With a smile of their faces the cricketers acknowledged their fans and Irfan even shook hands with a child, who too was there for the Friday prayer.
Nizam, a correspondent of a local vernacular daily who was there for the Namaz, said the reaction of the crowds was spontaneous. "Almost everyone there wanted to have some sort of connection with the cricketers", he said adding that many people there were even happy shouting "Irfan bhai's" name.
Talking to TOI, Mohd Saleem Ashrafi, Chairman, Chhattisgarh State Wakf Board and a member of the Mosque's management said they received a call from police department this morning about the proposed visit of the cricketers. "We made adequate arrangements for their security inside the mosque and they offered prayers along with other Namazis. We did extend them the courtesy of accommodating them in the first row," he said.
Ashrafi said the trio arrived in a white car at about 1.20PM and left after the prayers at 2 PM.
The arrival of the cricketers led to a traffic jam in the area and the police had to divert traffic in order to keep the road clear for them to leave. The DD squad is staying at WC Canyon hotel.