World Cup 2023: Cricket presenter Zainab Abbas departure from India stirs debate on internet

Another controversy shrouded the International Cricket Council's (ICC) Men's Cricket World Cup 2023 after Pakistani cricket presenter Zainab Abbas reportedly departed from India, leaving the showpiece event midway.

The reports of the alleged deportation of Abbas, who was present in the neighbouring country to present the World Cup on the ICC panel, created a stir on the internet, with widespread support from the netizens.

The netizens called out Indian authorities for wrongly treating the sports presenter after a local lawyer filed a complaint against her over alleged “anti-Hindu” statements.

Have a look at some of the reactions:

Abbas was announced as one of the presenters for this year’s World Cup earlier this month. The presenter was really excited about the opportunity to travel to India when the announcement was made.

Taking to X, formerly known as Twitter, the presenter had said that she was "humbled" by the idea of joining the star-studded line-up of commentators and presenters for the mega event.

The presenter said she was always intrigued to discover what lies in India.

An Indian lawyer had reportedly approached the police for the registration of a complaint against Abbas for allegedly issuing statements against India and Hinduism.

Soon after the reports of her exit from India surfaced, a spokesperson for the ICC dismissed deportation reports and confirmed to Geo News that the presenter had left the country due to "personal reasons".

India and Pakistan are neighbours, but not many cultural exchanges take place due to strained ties between the two countries.

It is important to note that India has yet to grant visas to Pakistani fans and journalists despite many reminders by the Pakistan Cricket Board.