A Pakistani sports presenter covering the World Cup in India has left the host nation, days after a lawyer complained to police that she had criticised the country.
Zainab Abbas was due to present for the ICC’s own digital coverage of the tournament, which began last week.
An Indian lawyer said he had filed a complaint to authorities against her for hurting Hindu sentiments and making anti-India statements.
Vineet Jindal took to X, previously known as Twitter, and flagged posts allegedly made by Abbas almost a decade ago in which she said New Delhi smelled like “cow piss”.
A report in the English daily Deccan Chronicle quoted sources as saying the presenter was given deportation orders on Sunday.
“Zainab has not been deported, she has left for personal reasons,” an ICC spokesperson said late Monday.
India and Pakistan are bitter adversaries with longstanding political tensions – their teams only play cricket against each other in international tournaments – and Hindu nationalism sentiment has risen in India under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government.
It was not clear whether Abbas had yet landed back in Pakistan.
Most Pakistani journalists who have sought to cover the tournament have yet to receive visas.
Fans too have been frustrated in their desire to cross the border to support their team.
© Agence France-Presse
