A series of grievances about the Cricket World Cup:
- The Asia Cup experience was disappointing.
- No opening ceremony.
- Ticket management was mishandled.
- Concerns about security for the Pakistan Team.
- Ground conditions were subpar: Dharmashala, Narendra Modi Stadium, or Rajiv Gandhi.
- Frustration with certain Indian ex-cricketers and commentators.
- Disappointment with some fans’ behavior.
- Worries about religious tensions between Hindus and Muslims in India.
- Why were there sniffer dogs on the field in Dharamsala, India?
In the ICC Cricket World Cup currently underway in India, England will play their second match against Bangladesh in the city of Dharamshala, Himachal Pradesh. Before this match, English captain Jos Buttler expressed concerns about the ‘substandard’ outfield of the cricket stadium in Dharamshala during a press conference, deeming it unfit. According to the cricket coverage website ‘Cricket Info,’ Jos Buttler’s characterization of the outfield at the Dharamshala cricket stadium as ‘substandard’ has raised questions about hosting World Cup matches at this venue.
Overall, it’s been a disappointing Cricket World Cup. And now, the BCCI requested Zainab Abbas to depart from India, citing a perception of her style as not aligning with the local audience.
The International Cricket Council (ICC) stated on Monday that Pakistani sports presenter Zainab Abbas was not deported from India, where she was a part of the World Cup 2023 broadcast team. They clarified that her departure from the country was due to “personal reasons”. ICC official C. Rajshekhar Rao confirmed this information to Arab News. However, some media reports suggested that her departure was prompted by “security concerns”. These concerns arose after a complaint was filed in Delhi last week by a local lawyer, accusing her of posting “derogatory” tweets targeting the Hindu faith in the past. The complaint was based on screenshots of posts made by an account with Abbas’ name on the micro-blogging site X (formerly Twitter) in 2014.
Atherton didn’t hold back
Forcing Zainab Abbas to leave the country is another shameful stunt from BCCI, they keep mixing politics with cricket, ICC should stop being a dummy and never let them host any tournament again.
Michael Atherton in commentary today
Zainab Abbas leaving India due to threats over a nine-year-old tweet, when she was likely very young, is incredibly disheartening. She was so enthusiastic about this opportunity. Is this how you treat your TV presenters? Sports should transcend politics!
This is extremely disheartening and shameful. The way many Indian celebrities use social media to target Pakistan and religion is well-known. If that’s the case, many of them shouldn’t be allowed either. However, they’ve chosen to target a woman and issue threats. Shame on you, India. Stay resilient, Zainab. We stand with you.
Zainab Abbas was the sole female sports anchor who obtained a visa to cover the World Cup from our side. No Pakistani fans or YouTubers were granted visas to Pakistani supporters for the Pakistani team in any capacity.
Zainab’s social media history was scrutinized, and when they couldn’t find anything recent, some individuals dug up two tweets from 9 or 10 years ago where she was simply bantering with an Indian. Zainab deleted those tweets a long time ago, which likely indicates that she no longer supports those opinions.
Read: 2023 Last World Cup for many
At this moment, it’s crucial to pray for the safety of our players. Anything can happen under the leadership of a terrorist in India. She received threats and a case was being filed against her. Consequently, she had to leave India immediately due to severe threats to her life.
This is quite a situation, in India. I’m glad to hear that Zainab Abbas has returned safely. My thoughts and prayers go out to the women who are still living in India.
