I am ‘honoured’ to debut with Sky Sports, says Zainab Abbas

Pakistani cricket presenter and Pakistan Super League (PSL) host Zainab Abbas is all set to make her debut with “SkySports” a British sports channel.

As per reports, she is the first Pakistani female sports anchor to achieve this feat.

Zainab Abbas said in a statement on her Twitter account that,

“Thrilled to share that I will be making my debut for @SkyCricket @SkySports this summer while working on the England vs Pakistan series followed by presenting at the all-new exciting tournament @thehundred – looking forward to working with a great team.”

Thrilled to share that I will be making my debut for @SkyCricket @SkySports this summer while working on the England vs Pakistan series followed by presenting at the all new exciting tournament @thehundred – looking forward to working with a great team. https://t.co/tyILGfoOrH pic.twitter.com/XTWI8xHdHV

— zainab abbas (@ZAbbasOfficial) April 12, 2021

Zainab further added to her statement that,

“I was honored to receive this opportunity. Apart from achieving a personal milestone, I see this as a chance to make my country proud on international grounds.”

Also, Abbas has recalled the challenges she faced as a woman when she enters the world of sports.

A male-run industry not only in Pakistan but all over the world. The show was titled “The missing sportsmanship in sports,” Zainab’s talk was a part of Courageous, a virtual event that features a line-up of live speakers as well as prerecorded talks given by TEDxWomen 2020.

Zainab Abbas talks about why she chose to be associated with sports and she said, that growing up, it had always been her passion to play sports, Predominantly cricket.

Zainab Abbas further added to her speech,

“The idea of sportsmanship stems from the fact that sport is generally an equalizer irrespective of gender, race, or skin color. It focuses on your talent, skills, strength, and above all, meritocracy,”

In spite of her passion for her field, though she had to face various hurdles throughout her journey before becoming a successful sports presenter.

First, it was difficult to convince her parents about her choice of career and manage their disappointment when she had to skip an exam to watch live cricket matches.

Zainab Abbas also talked about how she moved away from the world of sports after her graduation and joined a corporate organization in London where she was subjected to racism and prejudice.

And even when she got the chance to be heard for a World Cup cricket program in Pakistan, her interviewers doubted her knowledge of the sport exclusively on the basis of her gender.

Also Read

Zainab Abbas’ classy shawl was one of the PSL Finale highlights

As the country's most-favourite tournament, Pakistan Super League (PSL), came to a...