Zainab Abbas

Zainab Abbas is a Pakistani television host, sports presenter, and commentator. She previously worked as a makeup artist before transitioning into sports broadcasting.

Early life and education

Born in Lahore on 14 February 1988, Abbas comes from a family with deep ties to cricket and politics. Her father, Nasir Abbas, was a domestic cricketer who played as a bowler for the Faisalabad and Hafizabad teams. He attended the same college as Ramiz Raja. Her mother, Andleeb Abbas, is a senior member of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf party. She serves as a member of the National Assembly on a reserved seat for women from Punjab and held the position of Federal Parliamentary Secretary for Foreign Affairs.

Abbas pursued her higher education in the United Kingdom. She studied at Aston University in Birmingham before she moved to the University of Warwick. There, she earned an MBA in Marketing and Strategy. After completing her studies, she spent 2 years working for Dolce & Gabbana at Harrods.

Career

Abbas operated her own makeup studio until 2015. Her career changed when she auditioned for a Dunya News show during the 2015 Cricket World Cup. She appeared as a guest alongside Saeed Ajmal and Imran Nazir. This appearance launched her professional journey as a cricket presenter and commentator.

She traveled to England in 2016 to serve as a correspondent for Dunya News while covering the Pakistan national cricket team tour. During this period, she appeared as a guest on BBC's Test Match Special. Upon returning to Pakistan, she secured a full-time contract to host Cricket Dewangi on Dunya News from 2016 to 2018. She also contributed sports writing to Dawn and Dunya News.

Abbas has presented the Pakistan Super League since 2016. She also worked for the Abu Dhabi T10 and held roles with TEN Sports, Star Sports, and Sony. In late 2017, she hosted a web-series titled Sawal Cricket Ka which consisted of 7 episodes. From May 2018 to May 2019, she hosted 14 episodes of Voice of Cricket on Cricingif.

In May 2019, she became the first woman sports reporter and commentator to cover the ICC 2019 World Cup from Pakistan. She made her Sky Sports debut in July 2021 during the inaugural season of The Hundred. This achievement made her the first Pakistani female presenter to work for the network.

During the 2023 Men's Cricket World Cup, Abbas traveled to India to provide coverage. Controversy arose when old tweets containing anti-Hindu and anti-India sentiments resurfaced. While the International Cricket Council reported she left the country for personal reasons, it was also reported that security concerns prompted her departure. Abbas later apologized for the posts and stated they do not represent her values.

Personal life

Abbas married Hamza Kardar in Lahore in November 2019. Hamza is the son of Shahid Hafeez Kardar, who served as the former finance minister and governor of the State Bank of Pakistan. His father was Abdul Hafeez Kardar, the first captain of the Pakistan cricket team. The couple welcomed their first child in December 2021 and their second child in January 2025.

Her younger brother is Hussain Abbas Mirza. He works as a fitness trainer. In February 2023, he joined the Multan Sultans as their strength and conditioning specialist for the 2023 PSL.

Awards and recognition

Abbas won the Sports TV Host of the Year award at the first Pakistan Sports Awards in 2019. In July 2020, the New York Press Agency included her in a list of the 100 most influential people in Asia, the UK, and the EU. She was also invited to give a talk at the TedxLahoreWomen event in October 2020.