Irfan Pathan
Irfan Khan Pathan bornOctober 1984 is an Indian cricketer who made his debut for India in the 200304 BorderGavaskar Trophy, and was a core member of the national team until a decline in form set in during 2006, forcing him out of the team. Since then, he has been in and out of the limitedovers teams , and has only sporadic appearances in Test cricket. Pathan played his last Test in April, 2008 at the age of 24.
Pathan was bornOctober 1984 in Baroda, Gujarat, India and is of Pashtun ancestry, belonging to the Pathan community in Gujarat. He grew up with his elder brother Yusuf in a mosque in Vadodara, in an impoverished family. His father served as the muezzin. Although their parents wished them to become Islamic scholars, Pathan and his brother took an interest in cricket. Their games on the grounds off and inside the mosque often necessitated apologies from their father to Muslim worshippers who visited it. In the beginning his deliveries did not reach the other end of the cricket pitch, but rigorous sixhour training sessions in blazing heat and his familys sense of discipline saw him progress steadily. Under the guidance of former Indian captain Datta Gaekwad, Pathan rose to get selected in the Under14 Baroda cricket team, and when he was selected at Under15 level to represent Baroda in a national tournament, he was finally presented with a full set of cricket equipment, having before
Source: Wikipedia