Zainab Abbas
Zainab Abbas | |
|---|---|
| Born | February 14, 1988 Lahore, Pakistan |
| Occupation(s) | Television presenter, sports anchor, commentator, former makeup artist |
| Years active | 2015–present |
| Known for | Cricket presentation and commentary |
Zainab Abbas (Punjabi: زینب عباس; born 14 February 1988) is recognized as a Pakistani television presenter, sports anchor, commentator, and former professional makeup artist.
Personal life
Originating from Lahore, Zainab is the daughter of Nasir Abbas, a domestic cricket player, and Andleeb Abbas, a politician. She pursued her education at Aston University and later obtained an MBA specializing in Marketing and Strategy from the University of Warwick. Prior to entering the sports media industry, she spent two years working at Dolce & Gabbana within Harrods.
Her father was a bowler representing Faisalabad and Hafizabad cricket teams and attended the same institution as former cricketer Rameez Raja. Her mother holds a senior position in the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf party, having been elected to the National Assembly on a women's reserved seat from Punjab and serving as Federal Parliamentary Secretary for Foreign Affairs. Additionally, her mother reported on cricket events, including the 1999 World Cup.
In November 2019, Zainab married Hamza Kardar, whose father is former finance minister and State Bank governor Shahid Hafeez Kardar, and whose grandfather is Abdul Hafeez Kardar, Pakistan's first cricket team captain.
Her younger sibling, Hussain Abbas Mirza, is a fitness coach who joined the Multan Sultans as a strength and conditioning expert for the 2023 Pakistan Super League season.
Career
Initially working as a makeup artist with her own studio until 2015, Zainab transitioned into sports broadcasting after successfully auditioning to appear as a guest on a Dunya News program during the 2015 Cricket World Cup, alongside former national players Saeed Ajmal and Imran Nazir. This opportunity marked the beginning of her career in cricket presentation and commentary.
In 2016, she covered the Pakistan national cricket team's tour of England as a correspondent for Dunya News and appeared as a guest on the BBC's Test Match Special. Following this, she secured a full-time role hosting her own show Cricket Dewangi on Dunya News from 2016 to 2018. Concurrently, she contributed sports journalism pieces to Pakistani media outlets such as Dawn and Dunya News.
Since 2016, Abbas has been involved in presenting for the Pakistan Super League as well as the Abu Dhabi T10. Her broadcasting experience includes collaborations with networks like TEN Sports, Star Sports, and Sony.
Towards the end of 2017, she hosted the web-based talk series Sawal Cricket Ka, which comprised seven episodes. Between May 2018 and May 2019, she presented 14 episodes of Voice of Cricket on Cricingif, conducting interviews with various Pakistani cricketers.
In May 2019, Zainab made history by becoming Pakistan’s first female sports reporter and commentator to cover the ICC 2019 World Cup. Later, in July 2021, she appeared on Sky Sports during the inaugural season of The Hundred, becoming the platform’s first female presenter from Pakistan.
Controversy
During 2023, Abbas traveled to India to report on the Men's Cricket World Cup, expressing enthusiasm about experiencing the country. However, she departed prematurely due to security issues after previously posted anti-Hindu and anti-India tweets resurfaced and caused public backlash. The International Cricket Council clarified that her exit was for personal reasons. Abbas issued an apology for the tweets, emphasizing that they "do not reflect my beliefs."
Recognition
Abbas was honored with the Sports TV Host of the Year award at the first-ever Pakistan Sports Awards in 2019. In July 2020, the New York Press Agency included her in their list of the 100 most influential individuals across Asia, the UK, and the EU. Additionally, she was invited as a speaker at the TedxLahoreWomen conference held in October 2020.