Shoaib Malik opens up on marrage with Sania Mirza, says ‘I am a cricketer, not politician’

Pakistan cricketer Shoaib Malik’s marrage with Sania Mirza in 2010 had drawn a lot of attention both in Pakistan and in India, however the two sportstars never let the differences between the two nations hamper their relation.

Shoaib Malik and Sania Mirza moved to Dubai following their marrage and were blessed with a baby boy in 2018 whom the decided to name Izhaan Mirza-Malik.

Recently, the Pakistani cricketer opened up about his marrage with Indian tennis ace, which happened on 12th April, 2010, stating that he was not at all nervous before tying knot with Sania Mirza in a traditional Muslim ceremony.

"In a marriage, you don’t concern yourself with where your partner is from or what is going on between the countries or in politics. That is not our domain.

"If you love someone and get married to that person that should be all that matters, regardless of which country you come from," Malik told pakpassion.net.

"On a wider point, I have many friends who are Indian and I don’t find anything strained because of the relationship between the two countries. I am a cricketer, not a politician," Malik said.

Malik also went on to talk about Indo-Pak bilateral cricketing ties and said that, "world badly needs this rivalry to resume" and also compared it with the Ashes.

"I think the world badly needs this rivalry to resume, in the same way that world cricket needs the Ashes.

"Could England and Australia imagine Test cricket without an Ashes series? Both series are played with the same kind of passion and have such a great history, so it is a shame that we don’t play right now.

"Also, I have Pakistani friends who love to talk about Indian cricketers with respect and admiration. Similarly, I and my Pakistan team-mates are given such love and support when we play in India so it is a rivalry that I would like to see return as soon as it is possible," Malik said.

Shoaib Malik, who is 38-year-old, called it a day from Test cricket in 2015 and retired from the 50-over format in 2019 after the World Cup in England. He has continued to play the Twenty20 format for Pakistan.

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