Yusuf Pathan: Off the field

When not smacking the bowlers on a cricket field, Yusuf Pathan spends time with a horse, a cow, goats, parrots and cats in his sprawling farm house in Baroda. "The animals and birds, they are so innocent and they love you so much. I get peace of mind when I am with them," says he.

"He is an outgoing person, likes to go out a lot. I am an introvert. I prefer to sit in a corner and observe people, see what is happening. But we understand each other," says Yusuf Pathan of brother Irfan.

He ruthlessly dismisses bowlers out of the park. Yusuf Pathan’s onslaught borders on cricketing violence. Off the field, though, he is a peace-loving, affable person, who has a variety of pet animals and birds.

In his sprawling Baroda home and farmhouse, Yusuf spends time with a horse, a cow, goats, parrots and cats.

"The animals and birds, they are so innocent and they love you so much. I get peace of mind when I am with them," Yusuf told Sportstar .

He added, "I like them all. They are like my children but my favourites are a horse called Fauji and a cow named Ganga. Both are extremely fond of me too."

And his African grey parrots have him laughing his heart out with their wit. "When I am with them, time flies."

Then there is gardening. "When the plants grow and the flowers bloom, it gives you so much happiness."

He cannot take his eyes off his two sons: the two-year-old Ayaan and Raiyaan, who is only six months old.

"It’s a joint family where everyone cares for one another. We love having our parents with us. My father, he has sacrificed so much for us. We can never repay all that our parents have done for me and Irfan. We came from a humble background."

Brother Irfan and his wife live with them as well.

The 33-year-old cricketer has also comprehended much about life during his cricketing journey. “People surround you when you are on top. But when you get dropped from the team, the same people leave you. It hurts but you also learn. Now I have very few friends with me.”

One person who has stayed with him all along is his brother Irfan. “We are very different personalities. He is an outgoing person, likes to go out a lot. I am an introvert. I prefer to sit in a corner and observe people, see what is happening. But we understand each other.”

Yusuf’s best friends in cricket are Robin Uthappa and Piyush Chawla. “I play with them for Kolkata Knight Riders. We get along very well.”

Knight Riders' boss Shah Rukh Khan is fond of Yusuf. "He often says ‘we are both Pathans.’ The bonding is natural."

Yusuf also admires the former Rajasthan Royals skipper Shane Warne. “Shane Warne enjoys life and makes people around him happy.”

The destructive batsman unwinds to songs of Mohammed Rafi and Kishore Kumar. For Yusuf Pathan life is a song of tranquillity. The bowlers will vehemently disagree though!