Commentator Isa Guha apologies for calling cricketer ‘primate’

Cricket pundit Isa Guha has apologised for referring to Indian bowler Jasprit Bumrah as the “most valuable primate” during the third Test against Australia.

She made the statement while commentating for Fox Sports in Brisbane on Sunday after Bumrah sent India off to a flying start with two fast wickets.

Her remark provoked a social media outcry, highlighting the word’s history as a racist slur.

Guha apologised on television on Monday, saying, “In my comments yesterday, I used a phrase that may be construed in various ways… I apologise for any offence caused.”

Guha, a BBC pundit and former England cricketer, was chatting live on air with colleagues Brett Lee and Allan Border when the dispute broke out.

“Bumrah, today, five overs, 2-4. So, that’s the tone, and that’s what you expect from the former captain,” Lee added.

Guha said, “Well, isn’t he the MVP? [The] most valuable primate is Jasprit Bumrah. He is the one who would do all the talking for India, which is why there was so much attention paid to him in the lead-up to this test match and whether he would be fit.”

Her Monday apology included the following: “I set myself high standards when it comes to empathy and respect for others, and if you listen to the full transcript, I only meant the highest praise for one of India’s greatest players and someone that I admire greatly as well,” she told reporters.

She stated that she’d been “trying to frame the enormity of his achievements, and I have chosen the wrong word, and for that, I am deeply sorry”.

“As someone also of South Asian heritage, I hope people would recognise there was no other intention or malice there,” she told me.

Former India coach Ravi Shastri, a Fox Sports broadcaster, praised her apologies and asked India to “move on”.

“People are allowed to make errors. We are all humans. Saying ‘I’m sorry’ requires bravery. She’s finished it.

“As far as the Indian team, there is a test, and they want to focus on the game,” stated the captain.

Bumrah maintained his success on Monday, capturing his sixth innings wicket.

Racism allegations are not uncommon in international cricket, and an independent cricket assessment issued last year revealed that racism, misogyny, classism, and elitism were “widespread” in the English and Welsh games.