After former Pakistani captain and commentator Sana Mir made reference to “Azad Kashmir” during live commentary of Pakistan’s opening match versus Bangladesh in Colombo, the ICC Women’s World Cup 2025 saw a significant uproar.
Sana Mir first stated that Pakistani cricketer Natalia Pervaiz was from Kashmir when he introduced the player. Then she corrected herself to say ‘Azad Kashmir’, adding that because of the lack of chances in her homeland, Pervaiz had to play a lot of cricket in Lahore. Since the term “Azad Kashmir” is commonly used in India as a political term for Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), the normal introduction swiftly descended into controversy.
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Shocking to hear a Pakistani commentator call a player “from Azad Kashmir” on air during the #ICCWomensWorldCup2025 match@ICC @BCCI — is such propaganda acceptable?
And then Pakis and liberals cry “keep politics away from sports”? pic.twitter.com/h4rliOcVMM
— Megh Updates 🚨™ (@MeghUpdates) October 2, 2025
Indian fans accused Sana Mir of politicising a worldwide athletic platform after a video of her remarks went viral on social media in a matter of minutes. Many demanded harsh measures from the International Cricket Council (ICC), the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), and ICC Chairman Jay Shah. Some even advocated for Sana Mir to be banned.
Sana Mir explains what she said.
Late Thursday night, Sana Mir made a statement on social media. Sana Mir stated that her remarks had been exaggerated and that her purpose was never political. She clarified that her analysis was based on research she had done from ESPNcricinfo, which at the time had used the same terminology to list Pervaiz’s background.
“It’s regrettable how things are getting out of hand and how athletes are being put under needless stress. It’s unfortunate that this calls for a public explanation. My remark regarding a Pakistani player’s hometown was intended merely to draw attention to her amazing journey and the difficulties she encountered as a native of a particular area of Pakistan.
As commentators, it is part of our narrative to explain the players’ origins. I also did that for two additional players who were travelling from other areas today. Don’t politicise it, please. It is our responsibility as World Feed commentators to showcase motivational tales of tenacity and character while concentrating on the sport, teams, and players. “I have no intention of hurting feelings or harbouring malice,” she wrote on X.
Mir also provided a screenshot of her now-updated research source. She went on to say that it was unfortunate that this needed to be explained publicly, adding that as a commentator, she prefers to focus on the motivational tales of athletes above politics.
“I’ve also included a screen grab of the website where I look up the majority of my players, whether they are from Pakistan or another nation. I know they’ve changed it by now, but this is what I meant,” she continued.
India
