Shoaib Malik

London: Shoaib Malik’s ‘engagement’ with Hyderabad’s Ayesha Siddiqui is off and his Sialkot-based mother, Sultana Begum, has resumed the search for a suitable girl.

The Pakistan captain denied he’d been formally engaged to the educationist, who was then working in Saudi Arabia, but the Siddiquis had hosted the Pakistan squad for dinner on the last full tour (early 2005) of India.

Malik, in fact, top-scored with an unbeaten 82 in that match in Hyderabad against India A. The limited overs face-off was won by Pakistan.

“I wouldn’t say we were formally engaged... The reality is that I don’t have anything to do with her (Ayesha) now,” Malik told The Telegraph before returning home after the Glasgow washout.

After a short break, the players will assemble for yet another camp, this time in Quetta, for two weeks.

Asked what went wrong, Malik grinned: “Bus, buzurg log ek jagah par mil nahin paye... The elders just couldn’t reach an understanding... I’ve got to respect their wishes...”

The 25-year-old added: “My mother is looking for somebody suitable... Ab dekhiye kya hota hai... My job, of course, is to play.”

Malik, it may be recalled, lost his father during the Faisalabad Test versus India in January 2006.

Back on that 2005 tour, Sultana Begum had been quoted as saying: “We have always wanted an Indian bride for Shoaib... Ayesha is cute, good-looking and well-mannered...”

For her part, Ayesha’s mother Farisa had said: “Shoaib is such a sweet person, no wonder my daughter has fallen for him!”

Pakistan’s newest captain, who has taken over from the imposing Inzamam-ul Haq, has begun on a winning note. His men beat Sri Lanka 2-1 in Abu Dhabi (third week of May). The bigger challenges, however, lie ahead.

For his mother, it’s a different challenge.