Pakistani sports presenter Zainab Abbas has apologised for her past social media posts, which led to the registration of a complaint against her and allegedly prompted her to leave India and skip the Men’s 50-over cricket World Cup in the middle of the tournament.
“I understand and deeply regret the hurt caused by the posts that were circulated,” she said in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, on Thursday. “I wish to make clear that they do not represent my values or who I am as a person today.”
The post comes three days after reports came in that Abbas has left India. Sources had told Aaj News then that Abbas had been in Dubai for the past two days after she was reportedly given a safe passage by the International Cricket World Cup.
Reports said that she left India as pressure grew over a case filed against her for her old social media posts. The account’s handle was ‘Zainablovesrk’ when the tweets were posted and have since been changed to ‘ZAbbasOfficial’.
The complainant had demanded that she should be removed from the panel of presenters over her “derogatory” posts.
“There is no excuse or space for such language, and I sincerely apologise to anyone who was affected.”
In her detailed post, Abbas stated that her daily interactions with everyone during her stay were kind, cheerful, and with a sense of familiarity.
“I was neither asked to leave nor was I deported,” she clarified. But the sports presenter revealed that she felt intimidated and scared by the reaction that was unfolding online.
Abbas was part of the ICC’s commentary panel for the World Cup which included Ramiz Raja and Waqar Younis.
“I needed some space and time to reflect on what had transpired,” Abbas said as she admitted that her family and friends from both sides of the border were concerned despite that there was no immediate threat to her safety.
“I have always felt extremely fortunate and grateful for the opportunities to travel and present the sport I love – this one would have been extra special,” she said, “also, I am truly grateful to those who were concerned and reached out during this challenging time.”
A query related to her sudden departure was also raised during a weekly Foreign Office press briefing on Thursday.
“We believe that India as the host of the World Cup has the responsibility to provide seamless security for Pakistan’s cricket team and our officials who are in India for the World Cup,” FO spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch said in reply to a couple of questions.
Baloch went on to add that it was the host country’s responsibility to offer a conducive environment for all cricketing teams including the Pakistan cricket team and other individuals who were visiting India in connection with the tournament.
“Regrettably, Pakistani sports presenter Ms. Zainab was intimidated through the registration of an FIR against her on the basis of some attributed tweets made several years ago. Such developments reflect the growing level of intolerance in Indian society and set a wrong precedent in the ICC sports tournaments,” she said.
