ISLAMABAD: Former Pakistan cricket captain Shoaib Malik is
set to marry Indian tennis star Sania Mirza, a union of two of South
Asia’s most well known sports personalities.
The marriage is sure to attract attention because neighbouring
Pakistan and India are longtime rivals, and have fought three wars
since 1947.
The Pakistan Cricket Board has fined and banned Malik for one year
for unspecified disciplinary reasons following heavy defeats in both
test and limited-overs series against Australia earlier this year.
The 23-year-old Mirza ended a previous engagement to childhood friend Sohrab Mirza in January, citing incompatibility.
She issued a statement Tuesday confirming the marriage plan, but asking for privacy.
“My wedding Inshallah is going to be the biggest day of my life,”
she said. “I have been in the media glare for too long and would
appreciate a little privacy at this very personal moment in my life.
The dashing cricketer was also linked with Indian actress Siali
Bhagat, and there were reports of the two meeting confidentially in
2008.
News of the Malik-Mirza engagement spread quickly on Tuesday.
It’s not the first time that a Pakistani cricketer will be married to a high-profile Indian woman.
