‘We have to be the change’

As the Pathan brothers ��� Yusuf and Irfan, who were in Delhi yesterday ��� sit down for a chat, cricket is on their mind, but not just the intricacies of the game. With the attack on cricketers in Pakistan, does it make the players a little wary?
���Sportspersons are always in the news. There���s a very real threat to them,��� says Yusuf.
���After the terror attack in Pakistan, nobody wants to take chances.Even for the IPL, bullet proof cars and buses are going to be available for the players,��� says Irfan. Is it disappointing that the T20 matches will be played in South Africa? ���The good thing is that it���s happening. National interest have to come first,��� says Irfan.
Are they clued in to politics? What do they think is the pulse of the nation? ���There is a need for change. What everyone wants is development. And it���s not as if that���s not happening. India and Indians are respected globally.
When I was a child, all that I knew about politics or politicians was the common refrain ��� ���Politicians don���t keep their promises after they are elected.��� As I grew up, I realised the complexities, the challenges of it all,��� says Irfan. ���The responsibility for taking our country to newer heights lies not just with the politicians, but also with us. If laws are enacted, we have to obey them ��� whether it���s wearing your seat belt or paying your taxes. We have to be the change.��� Yusuf feels that the change is all ���around us. Better streets, infrastructure, and educational facilities: all of this is an indication that we are getting better and better.���
Is cricket changing for the better as well? ���Oh yes, it���s so much more exciting now. There is also a shift in attitudes,��� answers Irfan.