Former cricket star Shoaib Akhtar, aged 39, has tied the knot with a 17-year-old girl, Rubab, a resident of Haripur, according to sources within the family. News of an impending nuptial, reported by The Express Tribune on June 7, was denied by the cricketer.
Shoaib, acknowledged as the world’s fastest bowler during the course of his international career, claimed on Twitter that the reports were just a ‘rumour’. “I would like to confirm that I’m not getting married to a 17-year-old girl,” Shoaib’s tweet read. “There is absolutely no truth in the story being reported.” The account is not verified by Twitter but appears on ESPN Cricinfo’s ‘Cricket on Twitter’ list.
Members of his family told The Express Tribune earlier this month that the ‘Rawalpindi Express’ had scheduled the wedding for the third week of June and the ex-cricketer was due to visit his hometown, Rawalpindi, on June 12.
Sources said Shoaib Akhtar’s family met Mushtaq Khan, a businessman from Haripur while on Hajj last year and asked Khan’s wife for help in finding a suitable match for the retired cricketer. Both families reportedly met several times upon their return to Pakistan before finalising a match between Akhtar and Rubab.
The rukhsati was scheduled for June 20 from Bilawal Marriage Hall and was later postponed when news of the wedding broke in the media. According to family members, the nikkah was solemnised on June 23 by Jamia Masjid Ahl e Hadith Bohr Wali Maulan Khurshid Khan at Khan’s home in Mohalla Ramzani. A relative said not more than 10 people attended the function and claimed no photographs were taken at the marriage ceremony.
Published in The Express Tribune, June 26th, 2014.
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