Zainab Abbas reveals reason behind leaving India, says 'deeply regret hurt' caused by my posts

Pakistan sports presenter Zainab Abbas, who reportedly left India Monday after facing backlash on social media over her alleged anti-India posts in the past, has now broken her silence on abrupt departure from the World Cup 2023 hosts. Abbas said that she deeply regretted “the hurt caused by the posts” and revealed that she was “neither asked to leave nor was I deported” but left India as she “felt intimidated and scared by the reaction that was unfolding online”. “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. However, 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,” Zainab wrote in her statement on X.

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— zainab abbas (@ZAbbasOfficial) October 12, 2023

“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 apologise to anyone who was offended. Also, I am truly grateful to those who were concerned and reached out during this challenging time,” she added. Abbas was part of the International Cricket Council’s commentary team for the World Cup and was stationed at Hyderabad covering the Pakistan team when the incident took place.