Shoaib Malik reveals his son calls him 'bro' instead of 'papa'

After parting ways with Sania Mirza, former Pakistan cricket captain Shoaib Malik has been in the public eye, particularly following his second marriage to actress Sana Javed.

Despite facing scrutiny, Shoaib has remained close to his son, Izhaan Mirza Malik, who resides with his mother in Dubai.

In a recent appearance on a Ramzan TV program, Shoaib opened up about his relationship with Izhaan, revealing that their bond is more of a friendship than a traditional father-son relationship. Interestingly, Izhaan doesn’t call him "Papa" but instead addresses him as "Bro."

Shoaib shared, "Theek hai, mera beta hai, par jo uske saath relationship hai vo dosti wala hai. He calls me bro, mai bhi usko kabhi kabhi bro bolta hoon." (Although he is my son, my bond with him is more like friends than father and son, that is why he calls me bro instead of papa.)

Read more: Shoaib Malik says he's no longer 'interested' in playing for Pakistan

Despite the distance between them, Shoaib makes it a point to visit Izhaan in Dubai at least twice a month. He is deeply involved in Izhaan’s daily activities, including school drop-offs, pick-ups, and attending football practice.

Shoaib explained, "Main koshish karta hoon mahine mein at least do dafa mil loon Dubai jaake. Aur jo bhi din waha rehta hoon, I make sure I drop him to school, pick him up, aur uski activities mein shamil hota hoon."

The cricketer also shared that Izhaan is an avid football fan and often challenges him to a "proper match" in the park.