Can a cricketer act? Can hitting sixers on the field equate to scoring ratings on the TV-scape? Can an all-rounder’s versatility be extended to include acting, TV hosting, and a bit of dancing here and there?

Shoaib Malik is certainly willing to try.

There have been cricketers in the past who have aspired to become TV or film heroes and failed miserably. There are sportsmen who have ventured into show business and carved new identities for themselves. There are many others who have stayed true to the game even after retirement, becoming commentators, coaches, avid Twitter pundits.

One thing that the game teaches every player, though, is that you win some and you lose some. You could be Man of the Match one day and play abysmally the very next. All you can do is try your best.

Celebrated cricketer Shoaib Malik is already hosting a reality show on television and now wants to give drama acting a try as well. Isn’t he too old for leading roles? Does he have what it takes to make it? The sportsman is not betting against himself

Shoaib Malik doesn’t know whether he is going to look great on screen or not but he also isn’t afraid of failure.

“Life is all about learning,” he says. “We all make mistakes and we learn from them. Acting fascinates me. I want to give it a shot. I have always enjoyed challenges. If I do well, that’s great. If I don’t, I’ll learn from it.”

I am talking to Shoaib at a time when he is in the midst of captaining his team in the Kashmir Premier League matches. Cricket very much continues to be his raison d’etre. He is yet to sign the elusive acting role that we are discussing. The main theme of our conversation is that he is open to the idea of acting.

In the case of most other personalities, an admission like this doesn’t warrant an interview. Why not wait till a contract is actually signed, a role is actually taken on and, then, discuss the highs and lows of the profession?

However, in the case of Shoaib Malik, even the notion of an acting debut can make for interesting news. He is indubitably popular. He is renowned around the world, is lauded as an expert player and his marriage to Indian tennis star Sania Mirza has a separate fan-following of its own. Sania, possibly, is the only ‘Bhabi’ from across the border that Pakistanis have accepted with open arms. If Shoaib Malik wants to act, and when he does so, audiences the world over will be waiting and watching.

Then again, the cricketer’s interest in the world of entertainment doesn’t come as much of a surprise. Shoaib has recently been seen in cameos in the web-series Baarhwan Khilarri and Nida Yasir’s movie Chakkar. He’s made guest appearances in celebrity talk shows and in ARY Digital’s Ramazan edition of the game show Jeeto Pakistan. He’s also about to play host in the reality show Ultimate Muqabla, which will be airing on ARY Digital. Quite evidently, he isn’t camera shy at all.

This, of course, doesn’t guarantee that when he does make his acting debut, he’ll act well. What if those very people who cheer for him on the cricket field don’t end up liking him as an actor?

“You can’t please everyone and, once you’ve put in all your effort, there is no point in ruining the rest of your time by worrying about what people are saying,” says Shoaib. “I make it a point to never read people’s comments on social media, not even one comment. If I don’t do well, I’ll improve. You can’t change destiny.”

He continues: “I’ve always enjoyed having a busy schedule and acting will fit well in my routine. Even now, when I am not playing, I am utilising my time constructively. I’m training or, if I’m with friends, I make sure that I’m with people who are positive and sincere.”

Many of these shiny, happy people that are part of Shoaib’s inner friends’ circle are incidentally from show business — industry movers and shakers who he is fortunate to find to be ‘positive and sincere’.

It’s no secret that Shoaib Malik is very popular, his network extending from fellow sportsmen to the TV and film fraternities. Have his friendships in the entertainment industry made acting seem like an enticing option?

“No, I just think that I’ll enjoy it,” he confesses. “And I may have friends who are actors and directors, but I would never expect them to extend me a favour and offer me a role. I don’t believe in forming friendships for personal gain. Whatever is meant for me will come my way.

“Atif Aslam is one of my closest friends and I was recently so impressed by his TV acting debut. He was brilliant in Sang-i-Mah.”

Does he regularly watch Pakistani dramas and films? “Yes, I try to watch them whenever I have the time,” says Shoaib. “During the coronavirus lockdown, I was in Sialkot with my mother, while my wife and son were stuck in India. I watched a lot of Pakistani dramas with my mother at the time. Some of them are very, very good.”

Does this interest in acting mean that he is considering bringing his cricketing career to an end? “Not at all,” he says. “My main focus continues to be on cricket. Acting is just an option that I’m exploring. When I do sign on to a role, I plan to announce it in a big way.”

We move on to a question that he must hear often: does he pay heed to the conjecture that he may now be getting too old for the cricket field?

Life is all about learning,” he says. “We all make mistakes and we learn from them. Acting fascinates me. I want to give it a shot. I have always enjoyed challenges. If I do well, that’s great. If I don’t, I’ll learn from it.”

“I think that we all make out age to be such a big deal,” says Shoaib. “I am still playing well. I follow a strict training schedule and diet. There is no need for me to consider ending my career at this point… I am blessed because I get a lot of motivation from my wife. She is very particular about training and diet as well. I even encourage my son to have less junk and do crunches, even though his mother and grandmother often tell me to lay off!” he laughs.

I tell him that, at age 40, he does still look young and agile, to which he quips, “So I may be able to play college boy roles?” Perhaps not, I answer truthfully, unless the college boy has been failing and repeating semesters for several years — I’ve recently seen several overage heroes play such college students! Shoaib finds this very funny.

Nevertheless, does he think that his age could hamper him from getting the sort of roles he might want to play as an actor?

“I think age is even less of a restriction in the case of acting. If you compare sports with acting, an athlete’s best years fall within a specific time frame, while there is no fixed number attached to acting. So many of our established actors, such as Humayun Saeed and Adnan Siddiqui, continue to play heroes despite their ages. Perfection can sometimes be achieved with experience and there are plenty of opportunities that are available, all kinds of roles and chances to experiment.”

How does his family feel about him wanting to delve into acting?

“I haven’t discussed it in detail with my mother and sisters,” he says, “but my wife has been very supportive. She often guides me towards exploring new opportunities. During the pandemic, she suggested that I do Insta-live Q&A sessions with my celebrity friends and that worked out really well. Now, she and I both think that acting could work out for me.”

His marriage to Sania Mirza has always been a source of media headlines. They are an unconventional cross-border couple; she, being a star tennis player for India, and he, continuing to play cricket for Pakistan. Some months ago, while attending a show hosted by Ahsan Khan, Sania had quipped that the one question she gets asked the most during an India-Pakistan cricket match is whether she is supporting her home country or her husband!

Jokes aside, though, does it ever worry him that their marriage could be targeted by haters, especially when Indo-Pak tensions run high? It’s a tricky question, and Shoaib takes his time answering it.

“Personally, I have never experienced any hate being directed towards either of us,” he says. “There are a lot of similarities between both our countries, the food and language is the same, our cultures are similar. Whenever I have gone to India, I have received a lot of love there and, similarly, Sania is very well-loved in Pakistan.”

The couple have chosen Dubai’s platonic middle-ground as their home, where they live with their three-and-a-half-year-old son. Is it difficult for Shoaib, to ricochet between Dubai and his hometown in Sialkot, where his mother continues to live, and whatever part of the world he has to go to play cricket?

“It’s become a way of life now,” he says. “Sania obviously can’t come to Pakistan very often because of the political restrictions. My mother does go to Dubai often.

“Both Sania and I have adjusted our routines so that one of us is always around if the other has to go on tour,” Shoaib continues. “There was a time when I would be part of eight to 10 league cricket matches. Now, I just opt for four to five.”

Considering how travel has been an inherent part of his lifestyle for many years, did he feel depressed during the Covid-19 pandemic?

“There was tension, of course, and I had a lot of mood swings,” he confesses. “What helped me get through it was praying regularly. I pray five times a day and, for me, it’s the best way to keep myself motivated. People suggest all sorts of ways to stay mentally healthy but, if you pray consistently, you never really lose hope.”

Moving back to his prospective career in show business, Shoaib recently wrapped up shooting for Ultimate Muqabla, a reality show where celebrities and cricketers will be participating in a range of physical challenges. “I really enjoyed myself,” he says. “As the host, I didn’t have to do the physical challenges myself, but the participants were all such good sports, continuing to play even when they got hurt.”

Did he find hosting easy? Pat comes his reply, “I gave it my best shot.”

His best shots have often worked on the cricket field. They may work out on the new playing field that Shoaib now wants to traverse. I am reminded of a recent event where Shoaib was attending as a brand ambassador and I had spontaneously asked him a few questions, filming our conversation with my cellphone camera.

‘Do you think that you’re getting too old to play?’ I had posed the routine query to him. He had answered with great calm and, at the end, we had both agreed that he was, indeed, in great form. However, when I uploaded the video on social media, it immediately led to a deluge of criticism. Fans — masses of them! — were livid that I had even questioned their hero regarding his age. Their vitriol came with such ferocity that I deleted the video a few hours later.

It was an indication of the adulation that Shoaib Malik is blessed with, the God-given love that is showered upon him wherever he goes. He could turn out to be a good actor. Or, like any debutante, he may fumble and get better with experience. Chances are, though, he is going to be loved no matter what.

Published in Dawn, ICON, September 4th, 2022