File photo of Pakistani presenter Zainab Abbas© X (formerly Twitter)
Pakistani anchor Zainab Abbas, who was part of the ICC digital team covering the 2023 Cricket World Cup, broke her silence for the first time since her departure from India after facing backlash on social media for her alleged anti- Indian posts in the past. “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,” Zainab said in a statement on X, formerly known as Twitter. Abbas also clarified that she was neither deported nor asked to leave India.
“I was not asked to leave nor was I deported,” she further added in the statement.
— zainab abbas (@ZAbbasOfficial) October 12, 2023
Zainab left India from Hyderabad where she was deputed to cover Pakistan’s three cricket World Cup matches in the city. The 35-year-old was present at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad during Pakistan’s World Cup opener against the Netherlands on October 6.
Posts from her unverified X account, formerly Twitter, had gone viral after she announced that she would be covering the ICC mega event in India.
As speculation mounted on social media about her departure from India midway through the tournament, the International Cricket Council clarified that Zainab had not been deported from the host country.
“Zainab has not been deported, she left for personal reasons,” an ICC spokesperson told PTI. The presenter, who arrived in Hyderabad last week, was scheduled to travel to cities where Pakistan was scheduled to play, including Bengaluru, Chennai and Ahmedabad.
Former Pakistan players Rameez Raja and Waqar Younis are in India as part of the commentary panel for the ODI showpiece, which started on October 5 and ends on November 19.
(With PTI inputs)
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