BBC presenter Isa Guha has issued a rare apology after the former England cricketer called Indian bowler Jasprit Bumrah the “most valuable primate” in his team.
Guha, who was part of England’s World Cup teams in 2005 and 2009, said during a Sunday broadcast for Fox Sports in Brisbane, Australia: “He’s the MVP, right?” (The) most valuable primate, Jasprit Bumrah.’
The comment sparked outrage on social media due to the word’s history of use as a racial slur.
Guha apologized for his comment today, saying he had “used a word that can be interpreted in different ways.”
‘Firstly, I would like to apologize for any offense caused. “I set very high standards for myself when it comes to empathy and respect for others,” he said as he opened Fox Sports’ coverage on Monday.
‘If you listen to the full transcript, I just wanted to say the highest praise for one of India’s greatest players. And someone I admire a lot too.’
Guha’s parents, Barun and Roma, emigrated from Calcutta in West Bengal, India, to the United Kingdom in the 1970s, meaning that she has Indian heritage, although she was born and raised in the United Kingdom.
“As someone who is also of South Asian descent, I hope people recognize that there was no other intent or malice there,” he said.
Guha allegedly called Bumrah a “primate” during a conversation with fellow commentator Brett Lee (pictured) while live.
Guha’s comment came as Bumrah (left) took five wickets during Sunday’s game, as Australia finished the day at 405/7.
Isa Guha is pictured above presenting for the BBC at Lord’s Cricket Ground this year.
“I am an advocate for equality and I am someone who has spent my career thinking about inclusivity and understanding in the game,” Guha continued.
“I hope this hasn’t overshadowed what has been a great Test match so far and I look forward to seeing how it progresses.” But once again, I’m so sorry.’
Bowler Bumrah took five wickets during the second day of the third Test in Brisbane between Australia and India.
‘In trying to frame the enormity of his achievements, I said the wrong word at the time. “It was a real mistake, there was no other intention and I am sorry for the discomfort caused,” Guha added on his Instagram story.
Former India coach Ravi Shastri sat next to Guha to apologize on Fox Sports and applauded his statement before urging people to “move on”.
“First of all, brave woman,” he said of Guha. ‘To do it on live television and apologize, it takes some steel. You heard it from the horse’s mouth, so as far as I’m concerned, it’s game over. We are all human and we all have the right to make mistakes.
‘In the heat of the moment, as you saw with Siraj’s incident with Travis Head (at the Adelaide Test), sometimes when you have the microphone in your hand, things can happen.
‘But to acknowledge it, to raise your hand and say ‘I’m sorry’, if things have gone out of place, it takes courage. She’s done it, let’s move on.’
Former England cricketer and Fox Sports commentator Isa Guha has come under fire for comments made about Indian star Jasprit Bumrah during the third Test against Australia.
‘In trying to frame the enormity of his achievements, I said the wrong word at the time. “It was a real mistake, there was no other intention and I am sorry for the discomfort caused,” Guha added on his Instagram story.
Isa Guha appeared to make a racially sensitive comment about Jasprit Bumrah while live streaming Fox Cricket’s coverage of Australia’s third Test against India.
The incident occurred after the first hour of play on Sunday, when Guha and Brett Lee stopped to reflect on Bumrah’s excellent series so far, as the 31-year-old took 12 wickets in the first two Tests.
‘Bumrah, today: five overs, 2-4. So that’s the tone, and that’s what you want from the former captain,” Lee had said after Bumrah sacked Usman Khawaja and Nathan McSweeney.
Guha later responded: ‘Well, he’s the MVP, right? The most valuable primate, Jasprit Bumrah.
The reaction from Indian supporters has been severe, with Guha’s Instagram account coming under attack which MailOnline chose not to publish. Several more have been removed by the social media giant’s moderation system.
“Jasprit bumrah is like our god,” a fan posted in one of the less savage comments.
“You’re not a great commentator, Bumrah is India’s most dangerous bowler,” added another.
There were also many other comments in the Indian national language, Hindi. Others have lashed out at Guha on social media platform X, calling for Fox Sports or the ICC to remove her from commentary.
‘Absolutely shocking, Isa Guha calls Jasprit Bumrah a ‘primate’ on air. Can you believe it’s 2024 and we’re still plagued by that third world/first world mentality, posted Indian lawyer Dhruv Sharma.
Guha is pictured with former India coach Shastri ahead of the Test series between the two cricketing powerhouses.
However, the veteran commentator has also received a lot of support, saying she has been “misunderstood.”
‘Given that Isa Guha is a British Indian whose parents came from Calcutta, who thinks she was being racist to an Indian instead of saying something people didn’t understand?’ asked a cricket fan.
Guha took 29 wickets in eight Tests for the England women’s team during her 10 years with the national team.
After ending his international career in 2011, he pursued a career in broadcasting and joined ITV in 2012 for their coverage of the Indian Premier League.
The moment has gone viral online, with The Times of India comparing it to the ‘Monkeygate’ scandal during the 2007-2008 Border-Gavaskar Series.
It came after Andrew Symonds alleged that Indian star Harbhajan Singh called him a “monkey” during the second Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground.
Harbhajan received a three-match ban but was denied any racist language.
He was later acquitted and the ban overturned following an appeal to a New Zealand High Court judge.
The couple would later hold hands when they shared a dressing room while playing in the IPL in 2011.