Former Pakistan skipper Shoaib Malik played his 250th ODI on Monday against Sri Lanka in the crucial last group fixture of the ICC Champions Trophy, and his wife, Indian tennis ace Sania Mirza, said she was extremely proud of her husband and the feat showed his commitment towards his country.
“It shows his commitment to Pakistan, and to cricket. I’ve always known him to be someone full of passion for playing and representing his country, and it’s a very proud moment,” Mirza said in a video uploaded by the official Facebook page of the Pakistan Cricket Team. “Very proud of him, for everything that he has achieved, and I wish him all the best.”
Mirza’s next tournament is in Birmingham where she’ll be taking part in the Aegon Classic, which is often seen as a warm-up tournament before Wimbledon. Mirza had crashed out of the French Open mixed doubles in the quarterfinal stages to eventual champions Rohan Bopanna and Gabriela Dabrowski.
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With both of them being athletes, it’s understandable that keeping a tab on the schedules is bound to be tough. However, the couple seems to have made peace with that and have often backed each other during matches.
“A lot goes into coordinating, phones really help us; we spend a lot of time apart. Obviously, being two professional athletes. I get lucky because in Australia as well, the Pakistan team was there when I was in Australia,” Mirza, who was in Cardiff for the game, added. “Sometimes our schedules match, and I get a week off. So instead of going back to India or Dubai, I came here.”
{{/usCountry}}“A lot goes into coordinating, phones really help us; we spend a lot of time apart. Obviously, being two professional athletes. I get lucky because in Australia as well, the Pakistan team was there when I was in Australia,” Mirza, who was in Cardiff for the game, added. “Sometimes our schedules match, and I get a week off. So instead of going back to India or Dubai, I came here.”
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