Former Pakistan captain Sana Mir has responded to Indian criticism over her reference to “Azad Kashmir” during commentary in Pakistan’s ICC Women’s World Cup 2025 match against Bangladesh in Colombo. The incident took place at R Premadasa Stadium, where Mir, while talking about Pakistan all-rounder Natalia Pervaiz, initially said “Kashmir” before correcting herself to “Azad Kashmir.” Taking to X (formerly Twitter), Mir clarified that her remarks were blown out of proportion and expressed concern that sports professionals were being subjected to unnecessary pressure. She emphasized that her words were never intended as a political statement, but rather part of the storytelling commentators do to highlight players’ backgrounds. “It’s unfortunate how this has been exaggerated […] My comment about a Pakistan player’s hometown was only meant to showcase the challenges she faced. There was no malice or intention to hurt anyone’s sentiments,” Mir wrote. She added that, as a commentator on the World Feed, her focus is on the sport and its players, sharing inspiring stories of perseverance and dedication not politics. To support her explanation, Mir shared a screenshot from ESPNcricinfo showing Natalia Pervaiz’s profile listing her birthplace as “Bandala, Azad Jammu and Kashmir.” She noted this was her source of information, although the site has since updated the entry. The clarification comes at a sensitive time in cricket relations between Pakistan and India. The men’s Asia Cup 2025 tournament saw India’s men’s team refuse handshakes with Pakistani players, while the trophy presentation was overshadowed by India’s refusal to accept medals from ACC and PCB chief Mohsin Naqvi. With Pakistan’s women playing all their matches in Sri Lanka due to PCB-BCCI tensions, the controversy around Mir’s comment has further highlighted how cricket continues to be entangled with politics. Bangladesh won the match by seven wickets, leaving Pakistan struggling to stay afloat in the group stage of the Women’s World Cup.
“Stop politicising it,” Sana Mir responds to backlash over Azad Kashmir remark
