Pakistan's Former Captain Shoaib Malik to Wed Indian Girl Sania Mirza

LAHORE: Former Pakistan cricket captain Shoaib Malik is engaged to Indian Tennis Star Sania Mirza and the two will soon be tying the knot, leading television channels in India and Pakistan reported on Monday.

While reports about the engagement started doing rounds since early evening, Sania’s father Imran Mirza, a former sports journalist, confirmed the news to a leading Indian channel, Aaj Tak, while speaking from Hyderabad Deccan later in the evening.

A few channels also quoted Sania’s agents as confirming the development, which took many by surprise. According to the channel, Shoaib’s mother met Sania’s parents in India and sought their consent for making Sania her daughter-in-law.

In Sialkot, Malik’s family sources confirmed the news and disclosed that date for the wedding would be decided in the first week of April. The valima reception is likely to be held in Lahore in mid-April.

Malik, serving a one-year ban imposed by the Pakistan Cricket Board, is currently in Sharjah for the Bangladesh League.

The all-rounder was also in the news for similar reasons during Pakistan cricket team’s tour to India in 2005. He was then accused of ditching another Indian girl, Ayesha Siddiqui, who coincidentally belonged to Hyderabad. The two had met through Internet and got married. Ayesha’s father had also threatened to sue Malik for jilting the girl. Malik later denied having any relations whatsoever with her.

Sania Mirza, on the other hand, had also hit the headlines last year after she called off her engagement with an Indian businessman and friend, Mohammad Sohrab Mirza.

Reliable sources told Dawn that Malik’s involvement with Sania had a hand in the break up of her first engagement. In a recent interview, Malik had said: “I desire to get married soon. You will soon get some good news but it depends on my family. I expect to get married this year.”

Asked if it would be an arranged marriage, he said: “No one can say what will happen, but it will take place with the consent of my family.”