Shoaib tries to sort out marriage muddle: report

Pakistani cricketer Shoaib Malik attempted in an interview published on Sunday to end confusion about his marital status ahead of his celebrity wedding to Indian tennis star Sania Mirza.

"Sania Mirza will be my first wife. I have been cheated by Ayesha Siddiqui," Malik said, referring an Indian woman who claims he married her "by telephone" in 2002 and that she possesses documents to prove their alliance.

In an interview with The Times of India, Malik said he began a telephone relationship with Siddiqui in 2001 after she sent him photographs.

He and his family repeatedly made attempts to meet Siddiqui as he wanted to marry her but she always refused, he admitted.

Malik told the newspaper that in 2002 that he signed a "nikahnama" (wedding agreement) "thinking the girl I was marrying was the one in the photographs."

But "the girl who was accepting the proposal was someone else. That's cheating," he said, without giving further details.

In yet another twist, Malik claimed he had spent time with Ayesha Siddiqui's "elder sister" who told him that Ayesha would not meet him as she had put on weight. Malik said he now believes the "sister" was actually Ayesha herself.

The labyrinthine and often contradictory tale has attracted avid public attention across Pakistan and India, two countries normally locked in fierce rivalry.

Malik, 28, arrived on Saturday in the Indian city of Hyderabad, where he is scheduled to marry 23-year-old Mirza on April 15.

The couple -- who are both Muslim -- plan to live in Dubai after the ceremony.

But Siddiqui has threatened to sue Malik if he refuses to "formally divorce" her before marrying Mirza.

Siddiqui has circulated supposed copies of her Muslim nuptial agreement to media outlets in both India and Pakistan and has appeared on television regularly since Mirza and Malik announced their plan to get married.

"Malik can marry Sania Mirza only after divorcing me. He has cheated me," Siddiqui told the CNN-IBN channel. "He dumped me because his teammates said I was fat."

Mirza, whose short skirts have drawn the ire of Islamist groups in India, is recovering from a wrist injury that has seen her ranking slip from 27 in 2007 to 92.

Malik, a former national captain, is serving a year-long ban by the Pakistan Cricket Board due to indiscipline.

Cairns marries for third time in Sydney

Wellington, Apr 4: Former New Zealand all rounder Chris Cairns married for the third time at an intimate ceremony in Sydney.

The 39-year-old all-rounder married Australian Melanie Croser at Vaucluse House, a stately mansion.

Security was tight, with guards ringing the perimeter of the grounds.

The wedding party included former Black Cap teammates Dion Nash and Adam Parore, who had earlier rubbished reports that he would escort Australian model Lara Bingle to the ceremony.

An insider said the couple married in the three-storey, 16-room house before enjoying champagne on the balcony. Their reception was in the venue’s tearooms, NZ Herald reports.

Croser, 29, wore a full-length white gown and her bridesmaids wore blue dresses and carried bunches of pink roses.

The couple met in January 2008.

Cairns declared his love for his new bride in an interview with New Zealand Woman''s Weekly last month.

Croser, who won a basketball scholarship to Pennsylvania State University in 2004, works for a sports marketing group in Sydney.

Cairns retired from test cricket in 2004 and one-day cricket two years later.

Bollinger, Watson and Harris likely to share one-mn dollar CA pay bonanza

Melbourne, Apr 4: Australian cricketers Doug Bollinger, Shane Watson and Ryan Harris will share in a one million dollars pay bonanza as Cricket Australia is expected to announce a 25-man contract list for the 2010-11 season this week.

Five players - Stuart Clark, Nathan Bracken, Graham Manou, Andrew McDonald and James Hopes - risk being stripped of their CA deals.

There will be a further vacuum in CA’s contract list after Brad Hodge’s decision to retire from first-class cricket and Andrew Symonds’ demise, FOX Sports reports.

While Ricky Ponting is expected to stave off Michael Clarke and Mitchell Johnson for the No.1 ranking despite his decision to quit Twenty20 cricket, a number of cricketers are poised to rise in the rankings.

Bollinger is tipped to be among the major beneficiaries. Handed a low-level deal by CA last year after making his Test debut against South Africa, he could jump into the top 10 after a bumper summer that saw him claim 37 Test wickets at 20.86.

The 28-year-old has also cemented his place in Australia’s one-day side, putting Bollinger in line for a base CA deal of around 550,000 dollars.

Ranked on the cusp of the top 10 last year, Watson’s star is on the rise and he could threaten the top five after a brilliant 2009-10 campaign that won him the Allan Border Medal.

Harris is hurtling toward a 400,000 dollars upgrade in the wake of his incredible performance that culminated in the Queensland pacer making his Test debut against the Black Caps three weeks ago.

Shane Warne's new pastime - Twitter

Melbourne, April 4: It looks like Shane Warne has turned to social networking site Twitter to pass his free time.

The champion cricketer has been firing off tweets to a cornucopia of celebrities - including a few who don''t seem that keen to respond, reports News.com.au.

Warne’s targets include people from the world of sport, business and entertainment.

He has sent messages to Jamie Oliver, tennis star Andy Roddick, tycoon Sir Richard Branson, singers Lily Allen, Keith Urban, Kylie and Dannii Minogue and cyclist Lance Armstrong.

Warne tweeted to Branson: "Hello mate, its shane here how are you buddy ? whats news your side?"

There''s no record of the billionaire''s reply.

Similarly, Warne''s invitation to actor Stephen Fry seems to have gone unanswered, as has his attempt to swap musical preferences with Lady Gaga.

Shoaib still in Sania's house, marriage may be advanced

Hyderabad, April 4 (IANS) Pakistani cricketer Shoaib Malik continued to stay in the residence of Indian tennis star Sania Mirza amid speculation that their marriage was being advanced to avoid any problems due to the raging row over Shoaib's alleged first marriage with a resident of this city.

Shoaib, who arrived here Friday night from Dubai, did not come out of Sania's house in Jubilee Hills. With Sania's relatives and friends visiting her till late Saturday night, speculation was already doing the rounds that the marriage, originally scheduled for April 15, had been advanced.

Sania's family is reportedly in touch with a qazi to solemnize the marriage. Sources said it would only be a reception which Sania's family would host at a star hotel here on April 15 but the marriage could take place much before that.

Some television channels captured the duo dancing Saturday night and Sania's friends confirmed about the festivities being held at home.

Unfazed by the threats by Ayesha Siddiqui to launch legal proceedings against him for cheating, Shoaib landed in Hyderabad Friday night and was spotted at Sania's house Saturday.

Shoaib reportedly cleared the air over serious allegations levelled by Ayesha and her parents. Sania's family was apparently convinced by his claim that Ayesha cheated him by using the photographs of another girl. While admitting that he signed the 'nikahnama', Shoaib reportedly told Sania and her parents that he did not marry Ayesha.

Sania, in her Twitter page, said they knew the "truth" and had confidence in god's justice.

With dozens of media persons with cameras and OB vans surrounding her house in Jubilee Hills and obstructing the guests, Sania's family Sunday sought police protection. Some policemen in addition to her private security guards were deployed at the house.

Meanwhile, the family of Ayesha Siddiqui said they were going ahead with the legal proceedings against Shoaib to get a formal divorce from him. They want Shoaib to give divorce to her before marrying Sania and have hired a lawyer in Pakistan to file a case against him.

Was Azharuddin witness to Shoaib, Ayesha staying in a hotel?

Hyderabad, April 4 (IANS) Were former Indian captain Mohammed Azharuddin and his wife Sangita Bijlani witness to Pakistani cricketer Shoaib Malik and his \'first wife\' Ayesha staying in a city hotel?
If one believes the family friends of Ayesha Siddiqui, who claims to be Shoaib\'s first wife, Azharuddin and Sangita were staying in the same hotel where the Pakistani cricketer and Ayesha were sharing a room after their \'marriage\' in 2002.

The claims are significant as Shoaib, who is set to marry Indian tennis star Sania Mirza later this month, is refusing to accept Ayesha as his first wife. While admitting that he signed the \'nikahnama\' or marriage document over phone in 2002, Shoaib said he presumed that the girl on the other side was the one whose photographs were sent to him.

The Pakistani cricketer has denied meeting Ayesha, the daughter of M.A. Siddiqui, a former official of Saudi Airlines.

However, Ayesha Sunday told some television channels that Shoaib met her several times during his visit to Hyderabad, they spent time together and that she has witnesses to prove this.

Ayesha also claimed that two employees of Taj Residency, where she shared a room with Shoaib, were ready to testify.

Siddiqui\'s family friends in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, said the couple, during their stay at the hotel, also met Azharuddin, now a Member of Parliament, and his wife Sangita.

While Shoaib claims he never met Ayesha, the latter insists that they met on several occasions since 2001 but the cricketer, who was not a big star then, lost interest in her due to her being overweight.

Ayesha\'s family has already released copies of the \'nikahnama\' issued in Pakistan and signed by Shoaib. A video footage of a Man of the Match presentation ceremony after the India-Pakistan practice match in Hyderabad in 2005 is also being seen as proof. Shoaib had said at the ceremony that Hyderabad is the home town of his wife.

After the match, the Pakistani team was also feted with a dinner at the residence of Ayesha in Banjara Hills.

Shoaib Malik's image will be tainted, feels Akram

New Delhi, April 4 (IANS) Former Pakistan captain Wasim Akram feels that all juicy news about Shoaib Malik's past relationship with an Indian girl will harm the Pakistani cricketer's image.

"Pakistan cricket continues to intrigue me. Quite a few things are making headlines and unfortunately, almost all for the wrong reasons! First up, many congratulations to Shoaib Malik, although the juicy news about his previous relationship will do him no good," Akram, bowling coach of Kolkata Knight Riders, wrote in his column in ESPNStar.com.

"Whatever the facts are, I will like to wish Sania Mirza and Shoaib a good life together. Marriage is sacred," he added.

Shoaib's pending wedding with Indian tennis star Sania Mirza has been marred with one Ayesha Siddiqui, also from Hyderabad, claiming to be the wife of the cricketer and made public the 'nikahnama' to prove the marriage.

The Pakistani cricketer admitted that he signed the marriage document presuming that the bride was the girl whose photographs were sent to him.

Shoaib and Sania's wedding is likly to take place in Hyderabad April 15. Sania also tweeted on the controversy saying she and her family know the truth.

The Siddiquis have been tightlipped but their family friends said legal notices were served on Shoaib and his brother-in-law Imran Zafar for cheating and defamation.