Shoaib Malik gets engaged to Indian girl

Saturday March 26 2005 10:30 IST

IANS

BANGALORE: Pakistan off-spinner Shoaib Malik is engaged to an Indian girl and the 'nikah', or marital engagement, took place on telephone - a rarity.

Although Malik is here with the 16-member Pakistan squad, he has not been played in the three-Test series despite being cleared of suspect bowling action.

But the Pakistan Cricket Board is planning to unleash him as a batsman in the one-day series beginning April 2.

Nicknamed "Moon", probably for his handsome looks, Malik's nikha took place via telephone. He was in Sialkot in Pakistan and the woman thousands of miles away in the Andhra Pradesh capital Hyderabad.

"We met in Dubai for the first time when she had gone with her father," Malik, 23, told IANS in an interview. "The nikah was done on phone, two years ago, on May 2, 2003."

Malik, who has played eight Tests and 93 one-day internationals, said his would-be-wife has now settled down in Jeddah, where she is studying dentistry.

Malik, however, plans to visit some of her family members in Hyderabad when Pakistan plays a warm up one-day game there, against India 'A', March 30.

The Sialkot-born Malik said he has come to India to play good cricket.

"I want to do the utmost for my team and handle situations well so that team benefits the most from me," he said.

He admitted it was frustrating to sit out.

"(I) feel (it) a lot. If my bowling action was okay, I would have been in the side. But Allah has given me a lot of patience."

Malik's idol is the renowned Pakistani off-spinner Saqlain Mushtaq, who is currently recuperating following operations on his knees.

"He is like my elder brother and he has supported me a lot. For me, he is the best off-spinner," he said.

Unlike Saqlain, Malik recently underwent a comprehensive action modification exercise at the University of Western Australia.

He said his bowling action, perceived by some as a problem, is due to the two fractures he has sustained.

"I have sustained two fractures, one in the collar bone and one in the elbow of the right hand," said Malik, implying it was for this reason he was unable to keep his elbow straight while bowling as required by the law.

"It has shown in the X-ray and the report and the x-ray has been sent to the ICC (International Cricket Council), but they are not understanding that somehow," said Malik.