BBC presenter Isa Guha has issued a bizarre apology after the former England cricketer called Indian bowler Jasprit Bumrah his team’s ‘most valuable primate’.
Guha, who was part of England’s 2005 and 2009 World Cup teams, said during a Sunday broadcast for Fox Sports in Brisbane, Australia: ‘He’s the MVP, isn’t he? [The] most precious primate, Jasprit Bumrah.”
The comment sparked outrage on social media due to the word’s history of use as a racial slur.
Guha today apologized for her comment, saying she had “used a word that can be interpreted in a number of different ways.”
‘First of all, I would like to apologize for any wrongdoing. “I set very high standards for myself when it comes to empathy and respect for others,” she said on Fox Sports coverage on Monday.
“If you listen to the full transcript, I meant only the highest praise for one of India’s greatest players. And someone I also admire enormously.’
Guha’s parents Barun and Roma emigrated to the United Kingdom from Calcutta in West Bengal, India in the 1970s, meaning she has Indian ancestry, although she was born and raised in Britain.
“As someone who is also of South Asian descent, I hope people will recognize that there was no other intent or malice,” she said.
Guha reportedly called Bumrah a ‘primate’ during a conversation with fellow commentator Brett Lee (pictured) while live on air
Guha’s comments came as Bumrah (left) took five wickets in Sunday’s play, as Australia ended the day 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 am someone who has spent his entire career thinking about inclusion and understanding in the game,” Guha continued.
‘I hope this hasn’t overshadowed the great Test match so far and I look forward to seeing how the match develops. But again, I’m really, really sorry.”
Pace bowler Bumrah took five wickets during day two of the third Test in Brisbane between Australia and India.
‘In trying to capture the enormity of his achievements, I said the wrong word at that moment. It was a real mistake, it was not intended otherwise and I am sorry for any inconvenience,” Guha added on her Instagram Story.
Former India coach Ravi Shastri sat next to Guha for the apology on Fox Sports and applauded her statement before urging people to ‘move on’.
“First of all, brave woman,” he said of Guha. “To do it live on television and apologize 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 the Siraj incident with Travis Head [in the Adelaide Test]Sometimes things can happen when you have the microphone in your hand.
“But to stand up for yourself, to raise your hand and say ‘I’m sorry’ when things haven’t gone their way, it takes courage. She did it, let’s move on.’
Former England cricketer and Fox Sports commentator Isa Guha has come under fire for comments about Indian star Jasprit Bumrah during the third Test against Australia
‘In trying to capture the enormity of his achievements, I said the wrong word at that moment. It was a real mistake, there was no other intention and I am sorry for any upset,” Guha added on her Instagram Story.
Isa Guha appeared to make a racially sensitive comment about Jasprit Bumrah while live on Fox Cricket’s coverage of Australia’s third test against India
The incident occurred after the opening hour of play on Sunday, when Guha and Brett Lee stopped to reflect on Bumrah’s excellent runs so far, with the 31-year-old having taken 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 ex-skipper,” Lee had said after Bumrah dismissed both Usman Khawaja and Nathan McSweeney.
Guha then replied, “Well, he’s the MVP, right? Most Valuable Primate, Jasprit Bumrah.”
The reaction from Indian supporters was severe, with Guha’s Instagram account the target of attacks. MailOnline has chosen not to publish. Several more have been wiped out by the social media giant’s moderation system.
“Jasprit Bumrah is like our god,” one fan wrote in one of the less savage responses.
“You’re not a great commentator, Bumrah is India’s most dangerous bowler,” another added.
There were also numerous other commentaries in the Indian national language Hindi. Others have hit out at Guha on social media platform X, calling for her to be removed from commentary by Fox Sports or the ICC.
‘Absolutely shocking: Isa Guha calls Jasprit Bumrah ‘primate’ in the broadcast. Can you believe it is 2024 and we are still plagued by that third world-first world mentality,” wrote Indian lawyer Dhruv Sharma.
Guha is pictured with former India coach Shastri ahead of the Test series between the two powerhouse cricketing nations
However, the veteran commentator has also received a lot of support, saying she has been ‘misunderstood’.
“Given that Isa Guha herself is a British Indian whose parents came from Calcutta, who thinks she was racist against an Indian instead of saying something that people misunderstood?” asked a cricket fan.
Guha took 29 wickets in eight Tests for the England women’s team during her 10-year stint with the national team.
After ending her international career in 2011, she would pursue a career in broadcasting, joining ITV in 2012 for their coverage of the Indian Premier League.
The moment went 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 claimed India star Harbhajan Singh had called him a ‘monkey’ during the second Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground.
Harbhajan was given a three-match ban but denied using racist language.
He was later acquitted and the ban was revoked after an appeal to a New Zealand High Court judge.
The pair would later shake hands when they shared a dressing room while playing in the IPL in 2011.