Sania Mirza, the Indian tennis ace, is a proud wife, as her husband Shoaib Malik prepares to feature in his 250th ODI on Monday when Pakistan takes on Sri Lanka at the Sophia Gardens, Cardiff.
The match, touted as the virtual quarterfinal, will conclude with one team making it to the semi-finals while the losing team flying back to home.
Malik, the senior most member of the side, will also carry the burden of high expectations on his shoulders considering the fragility of the Pakistan batting line-up. But, fortunately, he won’t be left to deal with pre-match anxiety all alone, as Sania and his family is full prepped up to support and cheer him ahead of the all-important fixture.
“It’s a proud moment for all of us, for his mother, for his brother and sisters and for myself too. We are very proud of him of everything he has achieved,” said Mirza.
Sania appreciated the commitment which Malik has shown to his country and the game. The 35-year-old middle-order batsman cum off-spinner entered the cricketing world almost 18 years ago, making his international debut against West Indies at Sharjah in 1999.
His career has been full of ups and down which saw him getting dropped on many occasions. However, Malik made sure he proved his worth and regained his place in the side from time to time.
“It shows his commitment to Pakistan and to cricket. I have always known him as someone with full of passion for playing and for representing his country,” the 30-year old former Wimbledon doubles winner added.
The couple has a unique problem, as both happen to be top level, professional athletes. While Malik is a distinguished Pakistani cricketer, Sania Mirza is already a legendary name in her sport playing for India. This obviously means both the individuals do not get much time to spend with each other. But, the pair maintains communication through phone and sometimes, if lucky, get to meet each other if their respective playing venues coincide.
“Lot goes into coordinating, phones really help us, we spend a lot of time apart. I get lucky because in Australia as well, the Pakistan team was there when I was in Australia. Sometimes our schedules match and I had this week off, instead of going back to India or Dubai, I came here. So good change for me to watch some cricket as well” recalled the Mumbai-born tennis star.
Pakistan made a stunning revival in the Champions Trophy with the win over South Africa after getting thrashed by India. The tournament, after beginning on a slightly plain note, has threw up surprises which have rekindled fan interest.
Sania Mirza, who is currently busy with the French Open in Paris, however, has not been able to catch up with the action due to her busy schedule. She reveals to have watched only Pakistan’s most recent game against South Africa and promises to follow the approaching must-win game.
“It has been great, however, I haven’t watched that many. I have watched some as I was participating in Paris. So there was not much cricket there, I love watching it and I love watching it. I watched the last match live where Pakistan beat South Africa. I will watch tomorrow (match against Sri Lanka). I did watch India’s couple of matches as well,” said an excited Mirza.