Pathans use cricket riches for charity

AHMEDABAD (TNN): On Sunday, Mahmood Khan Pathan, father of international cricketers Irfan andYusuf Pathan, distributed alms among 250 Muslim widows at the Juma Masjid in Vadodara. "Since Ramadan is starting from Tuesday (July 9), we decided to give anaaz (grains) to these poor and needy women so that they can do their iftari in peace after observing religious fast during the holy month," said Pathan Sr and added that the packets which are provided to these ladies contain rice, wheat, sugar, dates etc which are essential during Ramadan. This is not just a one-off gesture as the Pathans donate the same to more than 200 Muslim and the same number of Hindu widows during Eid-E-Milad. They are also providing tuition fees for the whole year to almost 700 kids (both Hindus and Muslims), some of whom are orphans. In mass wedding that takes place in Vadodara every year, the Pathans help many couples tie the knot and also provide for their immediate needs. "We can eat peacefully for 3-4 months with what we get here," said Geetaben, a 50-year-old widow who has been receiving anaaz from the Pathans for the last two years. Another beneficiary, Dineshbhai said: "I was saved by Pathan saab's relatives in Ahmedabad when the riots happened. Today all my needs and my kids' education are taken care of by this family." The Pathans are doing charitable work ever since they formed the Mahmood Pathan Charitable Trust in 2007, four years after Irfan made his Test debut against Australia I December 2003. Yusuf too had started blossoming in the domestic scenario during that same period and he went on to make his ODI debut for India in 2008 against Pakistan. "That is something which my parents decided to do once we started earning. It gives them peace and we are also happy that we have been able to do something like this, albeit small, for those who really need it," said Yusuf. "I don't know much about it and there are times when I learn about things much later," added Yusuf referring to his father's yearly contribution to the Indian Armed Forces welfare fund during the Armed Forces Flag Day on December 7. "I go to the collector's office here in Vadodara on that day and donate whatever I can," said Pathan Sr and added: "All religious scriptures say that if you have anything in abundance, you should donate it to the needy. Inshallah, now that we are in a position where we can help the poor and needy, then why not." Before Irfan made his debut, the Pathans used to live in a one-room kothi inside the Juma Masjid as Pathan Sr used to work as a muezzin in the masjid and sell perfumes for a living. The family today stays in a palatial house in Vadodara. But Pathan Sr still finds solace in that one-room kothi and visits it every now and then. "We have been through poverty and we know what it means when someone lends a helping hand," said Yusuf. Irfan added: "I don't want to talk about it as I believe in quiet charity."