LAHORE: Pakistani cricketer Shoaib Malik and Indian tennis star Sania Mirza are going to tie the knot in April, Sania’s father Imran Mirza confirmed to media.

As per reports, the two sports stars have been in an affair for the last six months, which had led to Sania’s earlier engagement to break.

Sources said that the mother of Shoaib Malik went to Indian city of Hyderabad Deccan where she met with the family of Sania Mirza and finalized Shoaib and Sania’s marriage.

This may be recalled that earlier engagements of both Malik and Mirza had come to an end.

Malik was engaged with Ayesha Siddiqui also from Hyderabad Deccan on June 3, 2002 while Sania on the other side was engaged with childhood friend Sohrab Khan which ended in January 2010.

The wedding ceremony of Shoaib Malik and Sania Mirza will take place in India while the valima reception will be hosted by Malik on April 16 or 17 in Lahore.

“I desire to get married soon. You will soon get some good news but it depends on my family. I fully expect to get married this year,” Shoaib had said in a recent interaction with the media.

Asked if it would be an arranged marriage, he said, “No can say what will happen, but it will take place with the concurrence of my family.”

KARACHI, Feb 25: Karachi University shocked holders and the hosts NED University 66-45 in the final to win the Inter-university Zone ‘G’ basketball championship at the latter’s courts on Thursday.

The winners enjoyed an edge over their opponents’ right from the start and led 27-17 at half time.

Prolific scorer Akmal Jamil was the backbone of his team’s triumph contributing 22 points. He was ably supported by Mohammad Shabbar 15, Agha M. Ibrahim 10 and Haroon 9.

Arsalan Khan and Wasif Shaukat scored nine points apiece for losers followed by Zainul Abedin 8.Both the teams have qualified for the final rounds being played at Lahore from March 4.

Earlier, NED University outplayed Sir Syed University 72-33 while Karachi University beat Greenwich University 25-20 in the semi-final matches on Wednesday.

The KU and Greenwich match was marred by an ugly incident which led to free for all and a walkout by the latter some eight minutes before final hooter. The match was awarded to the KU after the losers did not turn up in given time. — Sports Correspondent

LAHORE: Pakistan hockey team has left for New Delhi through Wagah border, to participate in the 12th event of the World Cup Hockey Tournament, starting from February 28 and will last till March 13, Geo news reported.

The national hockey team, led by captain Zeeshan Ashraf, comprised of 18 players while Shahid Ali Khan is the coach of national team.

Pakistan is scheduled to play its first match against archrivals India on February 28 while second, third and fourth league matches to be played with Spain, South Africa and Australia on March 2, 6 and 8 respectively.

Earlier, before departure, Zeeshan Ashraf told Geo news that he wanted to kick off mega event with the victory over India.

Senior players Rehan Butt and Sohail Abbas told Geo news they were hopeful of putting up good show even though their group seems tough in the tournament.

Coach Shahid Ali Khan said players have worked industriously in the tough training camp and tried their level’s best to get rid of weaknesses.

Secretary Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) Asif Bajwah said the national hockey team will try showing better performance in mega event, adding that the security concerns over playing in India have been eradicated.

KARACHI: Naseem Hameed after becoming the fastest sprinter of South Asia and winning a gold medal for Pakistan at the South Asian Games, received a very warm welcome here at the Jinnah International Airport on Thursday.

Present on the occasion were hundreds of the people including her family, relatives, people of her area, minister for sports Sindh, officials of the Pakistan Army athletics and members of the Federation of Pakistan Athletics Association.

In an exclusive talk with Geo News at the airport, Naseem said that she has come after fulfilling all the expectations with which she had gone to Dhaka.

She said that Allah blessed her with more than she expected and her parents’ prayers and encouragement brought her to this place.

Naseem said that she would work hard with more zeal and spirit in future.

She said that she is more glad to earn her country Pakistan and her township Korangi a great name.

The fastest woman of South Asia said that her coaches have highly cooperated with her due to which she got success.

From the airport, Naseem has reached the Governor House where a ceremony has been arranged in her honour.

President Asif Ali Zardari has congratulated Naseem Hameed and said that she is a role model for Pakistani women and her success reflects the government policies to uplift the women of the country.

LAHORE: Pakistan on Monday left out coach Intikhab Alam and wicket-keeper batsman Kamran Akmal from its 14-man side to face England in two Twenty20 matches.

There is speculation Alam will be sacked over Pakistan’s humiliating 3-0 Test and 5-0 one-day series whitewash in Australia last month, but a Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) official denied he had been dismissed.

“Alam is not sacked,” PCB chief operating officer Wasim Bari said.

“There is no decision on Alam’s future as yet, but it will be taken subsequently,” he added.

PCB has ordered a six-man evaluation committee to look into why Pakistan was routed in Australia, summoning Alam, team manager Abdul Raqeeb and captain Mohammad Yousuf to appear for questioning on Friday and Saturday.

Chief selector Iqbal Qasim has already resigned following the defeat in Australia, refusing to reverse his decision despite a request from the PCB.

A panel of four selectors, without any chief selector, chose the team for the two Twenty20 matches, said Bari.

“Akmal is our main player and since we want to groom other players as well we have rested Akmal,” said Bari. Akmal was criticised for poor wicket-keeping in Australia, dropping several important catches.

Shoaib Malik, sacked as captain in January last year after Pakistan’s 2-1 home series defeat against Sri Lanka, will lead the team in the Twenty20 matches, to be played in Dubai on February 19 and 20.

Pakistan’s original Twenty20 captain Shahid Afridi will be part of the squad but cannot play in the first match following a ban of two Twenty20 international matches for ball-tampering.

Afridi was caught on television cameras biting the ball during the fifth and final one-day international against Australia at Perth, which is against the rules of the game.

The team will be managed by Yawar Saeed, who relinquished his post after the Champions Trophy in October last year. Saeed replaced Raqeeb who managed the team on Australia tour.

There will be no head coach but former batsman Ijaz Ahmed, who coached Pakistan junior team to runners-up spot in the Under-19 World Cup last month, will be the batting and fielding coach.

Squad: Imran Nazir, Imran Farhat, Khalid Latif, Umer Akmal, Shoaib Malik (captain), Fawad Alam, Shahid Afridi, Abdul Razzaq, Sarfraz Ahmad, Umar Gul, Saeed Ajmal, Yasir Arafat, Wahab Riaz, Mohammad Talha.