Shoaib Akhtar ties knot with 20-year-old in low key affair

Shoaib Akhtar got married to a 20-year-old girl in a low key affair in Haripur district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, it has been revealed. 

During the marriage ceremony, the 'haq mehr' was set at Rs500,000 and the newly-wed couple departed from Haripur after the 'rukhsati' event, The Dawn reported. The low-key affair was attended by family members and close friends of the Pakistani cricketer and the 20-year-old bride.

Earlier, rumours of this news did the rounds, but the sportsman had denied the same on Twitter. 

Wishes are always welcome BUT NOT for some crap rumour...My journalist friends,I expect sensible reporting and not rumour spreading.Thanks!

— Shoaib Akhtar (@DaFastestBowler) June 7, 2014

"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

Express Tribune newspaper had quoted members of his family, as saying that Akhtar is due to visit his hometown of Rawalpindi on June 12, and added that wedding dates have been finalised for the third week of June. According to the paper, the 'Mehndi' function is scheduled for June 19, the 'Rukhsati' for June 20 at Haripur's Bilawal Hall and the 'Valima' for June 22 in Rawalpindi. 

The paper had further quoted sources, as saying that Akhtar's family met Mushtaq Khan, a businessman from Haripur while on Hajj last year. They asked Khan's wife for help in finding a suitable match for the 39-year-old retired cricketer. Both families reportedly met several times upon their return to Pakistan before finalising a match between Akhtar and Rubab, who was then said to be of 17 years of age. It was also said that Rubab has little interest in cricket and has three older brothers and a younger sister. Read more