Former Pakistan cricket team captain Sana Mir has found herself in the center of controversy after making a comment about "Azad Kashmir" during a live commentary session at the Women's ODI World Cup 2025. The incident occurred during the Pakistan versus Bangladesh match when Mir was describing the background of Pakistani player Natalia Pervaiz. While narrating Pervaiz's cricketing journey, Mir mentioned that Pervaiz comes from "Kashmir, Azad Kashmir," and plays a lot of her cricket in Lahore.
The remark quickly drew criticism on social media, particularly from Indian fans who took issue with the use of "Azad Kashmir". They pointed out that the region is referred to as Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (PoK) and accused Mir of politicizing the broadcast. Some users demanded her removal from the commentary panel, tagging the International Cricket Council (ICC) and Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) in their posts.
In response to the backlash, Sana Mir issued a clarification on social media, stating that her comments were taken out of context. She expressed her disappointment at the situation, stating that it was unfortunate that her comment was "blown out of proportion" and that people in sports were being subjected to unnecessary pressure. Mir explained that her intention was to highlight the challenges faced by players from certain regions in Pakistan and to share their inspiring journeys. She added that she had done the same for other players from different regions during the commentary.
Mir also shared a screenshot of a popular cricket website that listed her birthplace as "Azad Kashmir". She emphasized that there was no malicious intent behind her comment and asked people not to politicize the issue.
The controversy has erupted against the backdrop of already strained relations and heightened tensions between India and Pakistan. This follows incidents during the Asia Cup where gestures made by Pakistani players stirred controversy.
The incident has sparked a debate about the role of commentators and whether they should avoid mentioning political regions during broadcasts. While some believe that commentators should focus solely on sports, others argue that it is important to acknowledge the backgrounds and challenges faced by athletes, even if it involves mentioning politically sensitive areas.
