New Delhi: Pakistan’s leading sports journalist and presenter Zainab Abbas has finally cleared the air about her controversial exit from ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 which is being held in India from 5th October.
Ever since the 35-year-old anchor, who was appointed by the ICC as a part of its coverage team of the prestigious cricket tournament, left India on Monday, reports suggesting that she was deported from India over her old objectionable tweet about the Hindu deities started making rounds on social media platforms.
For the unversed, Zainab departed for her homeland Pakistan after covering the men in Green’s first two World Cup fixtures that were played in Hyderabad. Although she was further tasked to cover Pakistan’s World Cup fixtures scheduled in the city of Ahmadabad and Banglore, she mysteriously left the tournament mid-way and flew back to her country on 9 October.
Zainab reveals reason behind leaving India
View this post on Instagram
Rubbishing all the initial reports claiming her deportation from India, Zainab, in a Twitter (now X) post shared on Thursday told her version of the story and revealed the actual reason behind her exit from India.
Penning down a lengthy note about the same the anchor said that she feels grateful and fortunate for getting the opportunity to travel and present cricket. Calling her recent visit to India extra special, Zainab wrote, “My daily interactions with everyone during my stay were kind, cheerful, and with a sense of familiarity just as I had expected. I was neither asked to leave nor was I deported.”
“I felt intimidated and scared by the reaction that was unfolding online. And even though there was no immediate threat to my safety, my family, and friends from both sides of the border were concerned. I needed some space and time to reflect on what had transpired.”, the anchor added further.
In the same post, Zainab also apologizes for her hurtful anti-India tweets made in the past saying, “I understand and deeply regret the hurt caused by the posts that were circulated. I wish to make clear that they do not represent my values or who I am as a person today. There is no excuse or space for such language, and I sincerely apologize to anyone who was offended. Also, I am truly grateful to those who were concerned and reached out during this challenging time.”
Check out her tweet here:
— zainab abbas (@ZAbbasOfficial) October 12, 2023
Previously, an International Cricket Council (ICC) spokesperson also dismissed the rumors circling around Zainab’s deportation. Speaking with PTI, the official said that the Pakistani anchor has left India due to personal reasons and has not been deported by BCCI or ICC.
Notably, Pakistan’s veteran pacer Waqar Yousuf and PCB’s former Chairman Ramiz Raza also landed with Zainab for coverings in the esteemed cricketing tournament in India. Both the former cricketers are a part of ICC’s star-studded commentary panel of both Hindi and English languages.
Pakistan’s dream start in World Cup 2023
Meanwhile, Pakistan kicked off their World Cup journey on a good note by emerging victorious in their first two games played in Rajiv Gandhi Stadium of Hyderabad.
While the men in green won their first fixture by crushing underdog Northlands with a margin of 81 runs, they registered their second thumping victory with a historic 345-run chase against Sri Lanka on 9th October in the same stadium.
They will now face their arch-rival and hosts India in the 12th fixture of the ICC ODI cricket World Cup 2023 which will be played in Ahamadbad’s Narendra Modi Stadium tomorrow (14th October).
