If anyone is equipped to navigate with the continuing opprobrium surrounding the Hundred it’s probably Zainab Abbas, one of the new additions to Sky’s coverage for the controversial tournament this summer. Over the past seven years Abbas has risen to become one the faces of cricket on Pakistan television, breaking through in a traditionally male‑dominated environment as a sharp, engaging presenter and amassing 3.4 million followers on social media. Of the 240 male and female players in the eight franchises, only her compatriot Mohammad Amir (London Spirit) and David Warner (Southern Brave) have more.
Abbas may technically be a newcomer to British television but not for those who follow the Pakistan Super League or the rollercoaster travails of Pakistan’s national team. It’ is one of the audiences the Hundred is hoping to energise and, as an anglophile who has studied and worked in the UK, she is determined to seize this opportunity.
“I’m just really happy I’m part of it,” she says over Zoom. “I have done a one-off stint on Test Match Special but in terms of TV, this is my first gig with a UK-based organisation.
“The UK is such a multicultural place. When India or Pakistan play England, you see such representation from the Asian community.
“The Hundred will be a blend of youth and energy and Sky want to appeal to a diverse audience. I hope it gets positive feedback.”
The 33-year-old is urging cricket lovers to keep an open mind when the Hundred whirs into life this July. The concept continues to have a vast number of sceptics and not least given some of the changes to the traditional formats that will prove a challenge to those covering it. The term “outs” will no longer replace “wickets”, but other potential hurdles remain.
“We’ll all have to get used to the new jargon and terms,” she says. “The format is different, there’s not getting away from that. It’s 100 balls, maximum 20 for each bowler, a 25-ball power play – broadcasters will need to give themselves conscious reminders all the time. It will be easy to slip into the old terms.
“But it’s the same with every new tournament, there are always things to get used to. That’s the exciting part, it’s innovation. I’m pretty sure there will be moments early on where there are slips of the tongue but once you start, you will get the hang of it.”
Abbas, who will first be part of Sky coverage for Pakistan’s white‑ball visit the same month, was approached for the Hundred 18 months ago before the pandemic delayed its launch.
Her upbringing in Lahore meant she was immersed in the sport from a young age.
“My father [Nasir Abbas] was a first‑class cricketer in Pakistan and went to the same college as Ramiz Raja. My mother [the politician Andleeb Abbas] covered cricket as a journalist, including the 1999 World Cup. It wasn’t full-time – just a few games here and there – but she’s very passionate about it. So it is in my blood.
“My husband, Hamza, is the grandson of Pakistan’s first Test captain, Adbul Kardar.
“It was a sports-mad household growing up – football and tennis, too – but cricket is the biggest in Pakistan and ultimately I followed my passion.”
Having studied at Birmingham’s Aston University and then completed a masters in marketing and strategy at Warwick, Abbas spent two years working for Dolce & Gabbana at Harrods. Her spare time during this London life was taken up watching Pakistan, saving up enough money to join the crowds that witnessed the 2009 World T20 final win at Lord’s under the captaincy of Younus Khan against Sri Lanka.
After initially setting off on a career as a makeup artist back home, Abbas successfully auditioned to present a show for Dunya News covering the 2015 World Cup and then rose to become the anchor for the Pakistan Super League, the T10 in Abu Dhabi and Pakistan’s series home and away, and also a reporter for the ICC during the 2019 World Cup.
“With any job it’s never easy in the beginning and particularly in a male-dominated sport, “ she says. “The acceptability has become much better in seven years, you see such more emphasis on diversity and more women in the game.
“I started alongside [former Pakistan international cricketers] Saeed Ajmal and Imran Nasir and it went well. I was getting positive feedback from a supportive boss and I just kept on working and kept my focus.
“That’s what takes you forward; you prove yourself with your work. If out of 100 people, 80 say good things and 20 are bad – I can live with that. Over time you develop thicker skin and get used to it. I have become immune to negativity.
“I have been able to get that respect because I haven’t let my focus shift. I have had offers to get into film or appear on billboards, but I have never been that person. My love for the game has always carried me.”
It was this track record of breaking new ground that prompted my idea to chat about doing something similar with the Hundred, not least given its reception. Abbas’s social media numbers are enormous, three times those of Jofra Archer, for example, and though the online world is not always the best barometer for public opinion, working on the Hundred will require a decent filter.
“I don’t read all the replies,” she says, laughing. “As a woman working on TV on the subcontinent, I used to get comments on my clothes, my looks, my knowledge of the sport. Sometimes I might snap back but generally I have blinkers on. You develop a thicker skin.
“Like anything new, it becomes a topic of conversation. You won’t get everyone loving it, you’ll get cynics and people saying it’s a disaster. But it’s a bit premature to make those assumptions. Give it some space and let the tournament happen, then form an opinion, rather than have preconceived ideas. I’m expecting there to be negative feedback but I’m prepared for it.”
Bright, bold and unafraid of potential detractors along the way, whatever one’s views on English cricket’s new direction, Abbas and the Hundred appear a decent fit.
