BCA announces Rs 22 lakh award for Pathan brothers

Vadodara, Sep 26 (UNI) Baroda Cricket Association (BCA) today announced a cash award of Rs 11 lakh each to Pathan brothers Irfan and Yusuf, for their outstanding performance in the Twenty20 World Cup.

A working committee meeting of BCA also decided to organise a grand felicitation function in honour of the two local lads and present the awards sometime before the fifth ODI scheduled to be played between India and Australia here on October 11.

BCA vice-president Sanjay Joshi, who had a telephonic discussion with Irfan today regarding the association's plan to honour them, said since Irfan was unlikely to return to the home town immediately because of the upcoming seven-match ODI series against Australia, a suitable date for the programme would be fixed to enable both the brothers to attend the function. The association has also set up a five-member reception committee headed by BCA secretary Rakesh Parikh.

While Irfan is likely to join the Indian team at Bangalore tomorrow for the first ODI to be played on September 29, his elder brother Yusuf Pathan, who made his debut in international cricket by opening Indian innings in the Twenty20 final, is scheduled to reach Vadodara tomorrow after the Mumbai felicitation.

UNI