Sania Mirza's US Open win inspires husband Shoaib Malik

Shoaib Malik and Sania Mirza

Former Pakistan captain Shoaib Malik said that his wife Sania Mirza’s success in the US Open has inspired him as well as contributed to extra pressure, NDTV Sports reports. The 33-year-old added that he is looking forward to the upcoming series against Zimbabwe but does not believe it to be as easy as many are making out to be.

Sania, India’s undoubted tennis queen, has been in splendid form over the past year or so. She partnered Swiss tennis star Martina Hingis to win the ladies doubles championship at Wimbledon and recently tasted their second successive Grand Slam triumph by winning the US Open. 

The pair are currently the World No 1 in doubles rankings while Sania won India’s highest sporting honour, the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna, recently.  The Pakistani all-rounder, who married the India star in a gala wedding ceremony in 2010, acknowledge that his wife’s astonishing success off late has been a double-edged sword with it proving an inspiration as well as adding extra pressure on him. 

"Her win in the US Open inspires me to do well on the tour of Zimbabwe, It also adds slight pressure to do well in cricket", he said on Thursday. 

Zimbabwe series will be competitive: Malik

Shoaib has been included in the Pakistan team which will tour Zimbabwe starting September 27. The tour includes two T20 Internationals and three ODIs and will conclude on October 5. Though Pakistan coach Waqar Younis stated that his thoughts are primarily on the series against England preceding the one against Zimbabwe, Shoaib is not taking the relative ‘minnows’ lightly. 

“We are expecting a competitive series”, Shoaib was quoted as saying by Duniya News. 

Shoaib is of the opinion that the squad selected for the series against the African nation is a highly balanced one.

“National team is in good form and the Twenty-20 series will help preparations for the T20 World Cup,” he added. 

Shoaib is now a regular fixture in the Pakistan side for the shorter formats and was handed Category A contract by the PCB, placing him along the likes of experienced batsmen like Shahid Afridi, Misbah-ul-Haq as well as ODI skipper Azhar Ali.