30th April, 2010
Former Pakistan cricket captain Shoaib Malik is engaged to Indian tennis star Sania Mirza. Television channels in India and Pakistan confirmed their engagement on Monday, 29th March. Sania’s father Imran Mirza, a former sports journalist, confirmed the news to a leading Indian channel, Aaj Tak, while speaking from Hyderabad Deccan last night. According to the channel, Shoaib’s mother met Sania’s parents in India to obtain consent for the marriage.In Sialkot, Malik’s family sources revealed that the wedding date would be decided in the first week of April. The valima reception is expected to be held in Lahore in mid-April.
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.”
On whether he would have an arranged marriage, he said: “No one can say what will happen, but it will take place with the consent of my family.”
Malik, serving a one-year ban imposed by the Pakistan Cricket Board, is currently in Sharjah for the Bangladesh League. Shoaib Malik also gained notoriety for dating another Indian girl, Ayesha Siddiqui, who is also from Hyderabad. Malik later denied ever being involved with her.
Last year, Sania Mirza called off her engagement with an Indian businessman Mohammad Sohrab Mirza.