Sania Shoaib

Pakistani cricketer Shoaib Malik 'divorces first wife'

Pakistani cricketer Shoaib Malik is reported to have divorced an Indian woman, ahead of his planned marriage to the Indian tennis star Sania Mirza.

Imran Qadri, a community elder in the Indian city of Hyderabad, said Malik divorced Ayesha Siddiqui on Wednesday. The Siddiqui family have now withdrawn a police complaint against Malik over his plans to wed Mirza, Mr Qadri said.

There was no immediate comment from Malik or Mirza. He had accused the Siddiqui family of deceiving him. He also alleged that the marriage certificate presented by the family had been a fake. On Monday, city police questioned Malik after Ayesha Siddiqui said she was already married to him. They seized his passport and told him to stay in India until they had investigated the matter. The unusual cross-border romance has captivated the people of India and Pakistan, long-time rivals.



Wednesday saw a continuation of the drama that is gripping the southern Indian city.

Imran Qadri told reporters that after prolonged deliberations between the two families and community elders, Malik had granted a divorce to Ayesha Siddiqui, thus admitting that he had married her.

"It has been an honourable exit for both sides," Mr Qadri said. Ayesha Siddiqui's mother, Farisa, said: "Justice has been done. Ayesha is relieved and very happy."

Malik is in Hyderabad, where both women live, ahead of his wedding to Sania Mirza which is planned for 15 April.

In recent newspaper interviews, he admitted that he had developed a friendship over the internet with an Indian woman eight years ago and then married her over the telephone after they exchanged photographs.

But he says he eventually discovered that the photographs sent to him were of someone else. "I was made to believe the girl in the photograph was the one I was speaking to," he said in a statement. "The truth is, I haven't, to this day, met the girl in the photographs Ayesha sent me."

Correspondents said it was unclear if the marriage was legally valid even under Islamic law.

Sania Mirza, 23, and Shoaib Malik, 28, announced their wedding last week. The tennis star broke off a previous engagement earlier this year.

While celebrations will be held in both countries, the couple plan to live in Dubai and will continue to represent their respective countries in international sporting ties.