ICC Presenter
ISLAMABAD: Pakistani and ICC presenter Zainab Abbas tenders apology for her previous social media posts, which resulted in a complaint being filed against her. It influenced her decision to depart India, leaving the Men’s 50-over cricket World Cup in the middle of the tournament. She went to India as the ICC Presenter for the ongoing World Cup 2023.
In a statement posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, Zainab expressed her regret and understanding of the pain caused by the circulated posts. She emphasized that these posts do not reflect her current values or who she is as a person today.
This apology comes three days after reports surfaced that she had left India. She had been in Dubai for the past two days, reportedly having been granted a safe passage by the International Cricket World Cup.
The reports suggested that Zainab left India due to mounting pressure resulting from a case filed against her for her past social media posts. The account’s handle, ‘Zainablovesrk,’ was active when the controversial tweets were posted but has since been changed to ‘ZAbbasOfficial.’
The complainant had demanded her removal from the panel of presenters due to the “derogatory” nature of her posts.
In her comprehensive statement, Abbas asserted, “There is no excuse or room for such language, and I genuinely apologize to anyone who was affected.” She explained that her interactions with people during her stay in India were characterized by kindness, cheerfulness, and familiarity.
She clarified, “I was neither asked to leave nor deported.” However, Abbas revealed that she felt intimidated and fearful in light of the online reaction.
Abbas is a part of the ICC’s commentary panel for the World Cup, which includes prominent figures like Ramiz Raja and Waqar Younis.
Earlier, media reports indicated that while fulfilling her role of fostering “cultural connections” between Pakistan and India, renowned sports presenter Zainab Abbas left India amidst concerns for her safety.
This move followed allegations of her making controversial statements on social media, which were perceived as “anti-Hindu.”
Zainab Abbas had recently been in India to cover the ICC World Cup. However, her stay took an unexpected turn when an Indian lawyer filed a formal complaint against her, accusing her of making derogatory remarks about India and the Hindu religion on various social media platforms.
Zainab Abbas firmly denies these allegations, asserting that she has been unfairly singled out.
