Cricket commentator Isa Guha has apologised for calling India star Jasprit Bumrah a ‘primate’.
‘Yesterday in commentary I used a word that can be interpreted in a number of different ways,’ she said to open Fox Sports coverage on Monday.
‘Firstly I would like to apologise for any offence caused.
‘I set myself really high standards when it comes to empathy and respect of others.
‘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.’
The pace bowler took five wickets during day two of the weather-impacted third test in Brisbane between Australia and India.
Guha explained that when she mentioned Bumrah’s accomplishments, she intended to emphasize that they went beyond typical human achievements. She likened it to how someone might refer to a player as the greatest in the universe, instead of just in the world.
‘I’m an advocate for equality and am someone who has spent their career thinking about inclusion and understanding in the game,’ Guha continued.
‘I’m trying to frame the enormity of his achievements and I have chosen the wrong word.
‘For that, I am deeply sorry.’
Guha’s parents Barun and Roma emigrated from Calcutta in West Bengal, India to the United Kingdom in the 1970s which means she has Indian heritage, although she was born and raised in the UK.
‘As someone who is also of south-Asian heritage, I hope people would recognise that there was no other intention or malice there,’ she said.
‘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 am really, really sorry.’
Indian great Ravi Shastri sat beside Guha for the apology and applauded her statement.
‘First of all, brave woman,’ he said of Guha. ‘To do it on live television and apologise, it takes some steel.
‘You heard it from the horse’s mouth, so as far as I am concerned, game over. We are all human and we are all entitled to make mistakes.
‘In the heat of the moment, like you saw with the Siraj incident with Travis Head [in the Adelaide Test], sometimes when you have the mic in your hand, things can happen.
‘But to own up, put your hand up, and say “I’m sorry”, if things have gone out of place, it takes courage. She has done it, let’s move on.’
Australian Test great Adam Gilchrist also praised Guha for her statement.
‘We all know, and the people who come into contact with you know, your professionalism, your integrity and your general level of compassion and concern for anyone that you engage with,’ he said.
‘So well done, you’ve got our full support.’
The incident occured after the opening hour of play on Sunday, when Guha and Brett Lee stopped to reflect on Bumrah’s excellent series so far, with the 31-year-old having taken 12 wickets in the opening 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 had dismissed both Usman Khawaja and Nathan McSweeney.
Guha subsequently responded: ‘Well, he’s the MVP, isn’t he? Most valuable primate, Jasprit Bumrah.’
The backlash from Indian supporters has been severe, with Guha’s Instagram account targeted by attacks Daily Mail Australia has opted not to publish.
Several more have been weeded out by the social media giant’s moderating system.
‘Jasprit bumrah is like our god,’ one fan posted in one of the less savage comments.
‘You are not a great commentator, Bumrah is the most dangerous bowler of India,’ added another.
There were numerous other comments in the Indian national language Hindi as well.
Others have lashed 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’ on air. Can you believe it’s 2024 and we are still plagued with that third world / first world mentality,’ Indian lawyer Dhruv Sharma posted.
However the veteran commentator has also received plenty of support, saying she has been ‘misunderstood’.
‘Given Isa Guha is herself a British-Indian whose parents came from Kolkata, hands up who thinks she was being racist to an Indian rather than saying something people misunderstood?’ asked one cricket fan.
Guha took 29 wickets across eight Tests for England’s Women’s side during her 10-year spell with the national side.
After ending her international career in 2011 she’d go on to pursue a career in broadcasting, joining up with ITV in 2012 for their coverage of the Indian Premier League.
The moment has been going 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 India star Harbhajan Singh to have called him a ‘monkey’ during the second Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground.
Harbhajan was handed a three-match ban but denied any racist language.
He was later cleared and had the ban rescinded following an appeal before 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.
