Pathan survives maiden attack

Paceman Irfan Pathan was almost caught and bowled by a lass here on Monday.

She was at the height of passion but the lanky cricketer’s height stood in the way. The female fan’s lunge to plant a peck on Pathan’s cheek who got engaged to an Aussie beauty recently, sent everybody present at a function into a tizzy.

Irfan’s elder brother Yusuf was a bemused spectator at short leg. The caper took place at a city hotel where Irfan and his elder brother were distributing  prizes to lucky winners of a contest organised by Tata Indicom. The woman, S Khatun, who works for an insurance company, was one of the winners who sprang a surprise after accepting the prize from Irfan.
As Khatun lunged at him on the stage, Irfan fended her off using his height to the hilt and just managed a blushing smile after the aborted hug and kiss. However, the girl who was waiting for a photo op with the two brothers, stood her ground on the stage even after being caught at silly point, so to say. She later said she just could not hold herself standing, well ,within kissing distance of Irfan.

“I am a big fan of Irfan. I wanted to touch him and I’ve done it. I am very happy,” an elated Khatun told reporters. Asked what she was mumbling to Pathan on the stage, she replied: “I was telling him that I wanted to hug and kiss him. But he was saying ‘no no, please don’t do it. Shivangi gala kat legi (Shivangi will cut my throat).’”

Shivangi Dev is Irfan’s fiancee. Sabina vehemently denied that what she did was pre-planned.

“It all happened at that moment. I did not make any plans beforehand.”
Irfan later said he was on his guard after the lady submitted her proposal. “I kept an eye on her. The moment I saw her move, I reacted and blocked her.”

Dhoni episode

The incident is reminiscent of Indian captain M S Dhoni’s “predicament” at the Eden Gardens here a couple of years ago when he was subjected to an indentical attack of passion from a frenzied female fan who broke the security cordon and hugged and kissed him when he came down from the team bus to give autographs.

DH News Service