HONG KONG — Congratulations are in order for Ms Malala Yousafzai and her husband Mr Asser Malik!

On Nov 9, the youngest Nobel Peace Prize winner in history shared on social media that she tied the knot in a beautiful ceremony in Birmingham “to be partners for life”.

Now 24 years old, Ms Malala is known for being a global girls’ education advocate and an inspiration to many young women after surviving being shot by a Taliban gunman in Pakistan at age 15 in 2012. She is also the international bestselling author of I Am Malala. And the lucky man who captured her heart has definitely piqued everyone’s curiosity.

So what do we know about the dashing groom?

HE HAS A DEGREE IN ECONOMICS AND POLITICAL SCIENCE

While Ms Malala graduated from Oxford University in 2020 with a bachelor’s degree in philosophy, politics and economics, her husband earned a similar degree at Pakistan’s Lahore University of Management Sciences in 2012. They may not have been university sweethearts, but the activist revealed to Vogue that they met in the summer of 2018, while “Asser was visiting friends at Oxford”.

HE’S A GENERAL MANAGER AT THE PAKISTAN CRICKET BOARD

As for what Mr Malik does for a living now, he works for the Pakistan Cricket Board, which means he is in charge of the country’s national cricket team. Since 2020, he has been their high-performance general manager.

In an Instagram post, Ms Malala shared how she has had a deep passion for cricket since childhood.

“He worked in cricket, so I immediately had a lot to discuss with him. We found we had common values and enjoyed each other’s company,” she also told Vogue.

HE HAS AN INTEREST IN THEATRE

Mr Malik also has theatrical roots. According to his LinkedIn profile, he served as the president of a university theatre organisation called Dramaline and “performed in a theatrical performance at UCL and LSE in England to raise awareness and funds for flood victims”. In addition, he also once led the largest theatre competition in Pakistan.

HE USED TO OWN A CRICKET FRANCHISE

Before his current role at the Pakistan Cricket Board, Mr Malik actually co-founded the amateur cricket league Last Man Stands (LMS) in Pakistan. In his LinkedIn profile, he mentioned reviving grass roots cricket in his home country and giving amateurs the “proper hardball cricket experience”.

Mr Malik also explained how LMS Pakistan has successfully brought the beloved sport to areas where there is a “dearth of cricket infrastructure”.

THE COUPLE KEPT THEIR RELATIONSHIP PRIVATE

The lovely couple’s wedding actually caught many by surprise. One reason? Ms Malala once told British Vogue that she was not sure if she would ever marry.

“I still don’t understand why people have to get married. If you want to have a person in your life, why do you have to sign marriage papers, why can’t it just be a partnership?” she told the magazine.

The pair also never made their relationship public. Before their big day, Mr Malik gave his would-be wife a few low-key shoutouts on Twitter and posted two group photos with her on Instagram. But that was it.

“In Malala, I found the most supportive friend, a beautiful and kind partner – I’m so excited to spend the rest of our life together,” Mr Malik recently tweeted. “Thank you all for the wishes on our Nikkah [Muslim marriage ceremony]. In following our cricket team’s tradition, we had to do a victory cake cutting.” SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST