My marriage yet not finalised, Pakistan bowler Hassan Ali clarifies reports over his wedding with Indian woman

Pakistan medium pacer Hassan Ali came under heavy criticism after leaking too many runs against arch-rivals India in the World Cup clash at Old Trafford on June 16. He went for 84 runs in nine overs and took the wicket of centurion Rohit Sharma but only after the latter had inflicted damage.

Pakistan went on to lose the game by 89 runs via DLS rule and Hasan did not get to play in another World Cup game again. In four matches, Hasan picked only two wickets. Former Pakistan fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar slammed Hassan after the match saying instead of showing antics at the Wagah border, he should produce some good performance on the field.

Hasan Ali in another controversy

Now, Hasan has found himself in another controversy. It has been reported that the 25-year-old from Pakistan Punjab is set to marry an Indian woman named Shamia Arzoo from Haryana who works for a private airline. Educated in England, Shamia lives with her parents in Dubai where the marriage is reportedly scheduled on August 20. They have also relatives who live in New Delhi.

Pakistan news channel Geo News said the Pakistan cricketer had met his fiancée through a close friend in Dubai. As the news spread, there were more reactions and Hassan on Tuesday tried to clear some air saying his marriage wasn’t finalised yet and the two families are yet to meet and take the final decision. He said a final announcement about the same will be done soon.

If the wedding takes place as scheduled, Hasan will join the exclusive club of Pakistan cricketers who have married Indian women. Earlier, Mohsin Khan, who also tried to make a film career in Bollywood, had married Rina Roy though it hadn’t worked out. Another cross-border couple is Shoaib Malik and Indian tennis star Sania Mirza and their marriage is quite a successful one despite all odds.

Hasan, who played a key role in Pakistan’s winning the Champions Trophy in 2017, has seen his form plummet over the last few years. He has played nine Tests, 53 ODIs and 30 T20Is for Pakistan to take 148 wickets across the three formats.