Who is popular today?

Sky’s new presenter for the controversial tournament promises to bring a brio familiar to viewers in Pakistan
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, of London Spirit, has 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. Continue reading...