Ex-international pacer Shoaib Akhtar marries 20-year-old in Pakistan - reports

Shoaib Akhtar has reportedly married a 20-year-old after earlier denying reports on Twitter

Former Pakistan express pace bowler Shoaib Akhtar has reportedly married a 20-year-old from Haripur district in a secret ceremony which was attended only by close family members, according to Pakistan’s Express Tribune.

Rumours started surfacing earlier this month that the 38-year-old was set to marry a 17-year-old, named Rubab, from Haripur district who had just completed her intermediate exams. However, Akhtar had lashed out at the media reports on Twitter and claimed them to be false.

He had said, “I would like to confirm that I'm not getting married to 17 year old girl,there is absolutely no truth in the story being reported... If not me,atleast respect the girl! Totally False.”

"I would like to confirm that I'm not getting married to 17 year old girl,there is absolutely no truth in the story being reported..(Contd.)

— Shoaib Akhtar (@DaFastestBowler) June 7, 2014

...If not me,atleast respect the girl! Totally False"

— Shoaib Akhtar (@DaFastestBowler) June 7, 2014

However, news reports emerging from Pakistan now claim that the marriage has indeed taken place, and the girl is a 20-year-old.

Express Tribune reports that the Nikah was performed after the night prayers on 23^rd June. “There were not more than ten people,” the report also quoted a close relative as saying.

“The haq mahar has been kept at half a million rupees and Akhtar`s parents attended the simple nikah ceremony,” Duniya TV channel reported.

The Press Trust of India has also confirmed that according to a source close to the ex-Pakistani pacer, the families got together on 12^th June and had finalised a date for the wedding.