5 Cricketers Who Married Their Cousins – From Afridi to Mustafizur !!

Thanks to social media, rumors often circulate that Indian cricket star Virender Sehwag is married to his cousin, Aarti. In reality, the story is a bit different. Aarti’s aunt was married to one of Sehwag’s cousins. The two first met at a family event when Sehwag was seven years old and Aarti was just five. Their friendship eventually deepened, and in 2004, they got married. Today, they are parents to two sons—Aryavir and Vedant. While Sehwag didn’t actually marry a cousin, the cricketing world does have such examples, especially in Pakistan and Bangladesh.

Shahid Afridi – Nadia

Shahid Afridi, one of Pakistan’s most celebrated cricketers, was known for his explosive batting and useful bowling. He represented Pakistan in 27 Tests and 398 ODIs and was also part of the 2009 T20 World Cup-winning team. In 2000, at the peak of his career, Afridi married his maternal cousin, Nadia. Together, they have five daughters—Ansha, Aqsa, Ajwa, Asmara, and Arwa. His eldest daughter, Ansha, is married to Pakistan pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi, making Shahid Afridi both father-in-law and former teammate of his son-in-law.

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Saeed Anwar – Lubna

During the 1990s, Saeed Anwar was regarded as one of the most dangerous openers. His 194 against India remained the highest individual ODI score for years until Sachin Tendulkar broke it in 2010. Anwar played 55 Tests and 247 ODIs, scoring 4,052 and 8,824 runs respectively. He, too, married a cousin—Lubna, a doctor by profession—in 1996. The couple had two children, Bismah and Khuzaymah. Tragically, their journey together ended in 2001 when Lubna passed away after a prolonged illness.

Mustafizur Rahman – Samia Parvin

Bangladesh’s “Cutter Master” Mustafizur Rahman burst onto the international scene in 2015 with an unforgettable debut against India. Over the past decade, he has become one of Bangladesh’s most reliable bowlers, with over 300 wickets across formats. In 2019, after returning from the World Cup, he married his cousin Samia Parvin, a psychology student at Dhaka University.

Mosaddek Hossain – Sharmin Shamira Usha

Bangladesh all-rounder Mosaddek Hossain Saikat made his international debut in 2016. He represented the Tigers in 4 Tests, 43 ODIs, and 33 T20Is until 2022, contributing both with bat and ball. However, long before his debut, in 2012, Mosaddek married his cousin, Sharmin Shamira Ush, at the age of just 16. Unfortunately, the marriage did not last, and the couple separated in 2018.

Babar Azam – Nadia (Rumored)

Babar Azam, one of the biggest names in modern-day cricket and the former captain of Pakistan, was rumored in 2022 to be engaged to his cousin Nadia, with marriage planned for 2023. However, his family dismissed the claims as mere gossip. Later, rumors linked him with actress Hania Aamir, but those too were unfounded. Officially, Babar remains single to this day.