Former Pakistan women’s cricket captain Sana Mir has hit back at criticism from Indian media, calling the campaign against her “unfortunate and unnecessary.”
The controversy began during her commentary on the Paksitan vs Bangladesh match at the Women’s ODI World Cup on Thursday, when she referred to cricketer Natalia Pervaiz’s hometown as Azad Kashmir.
Several Indian media outlets accused Mir of raising political issues during the broadcast and demanded that the ICC take action against her.
Rahul Rawat, who works with India Today, AajTak, and Sports Tak, accused Sana Mir of creating controversy by mentioning Azad Kashmir on air. He posted on X, “Former Pakistan captain Sana Mir has stirred a hornet’s nest by bringing up the Kashmir issue during live commentary today. She referred to a Pakistan player as hailing from ‘Azad Kashmir.’ India is the host for this Women’s World Cup and the ICC is expected to act against Sana Mir.”
Soon after, senior Indian journalist Vikrant Gupta also jumped in, tagging the ICC and BCCI. He retweeted a post saying, “What the hell is ‘Azaad Kashmir’ @ICC @BCCI. You must take a stern action against this Pakistani commentator and send her back packing from India @JayShah @MithunManhas.”
Amid the uproar, Natalia Pervaiz’s CricInfo profile was quietly edited. It originally listed her birthplace as Bandala, Azad Jammu and Kashmir, but was later changed to Pakistan-administered Kashmir, a move that fueled further debate around the controversy.
Responding to the backlash, Mir shared her statement on X, clarifying her intent. “It’s unfortunate how things are being blown out of proportion and people in sports are being subjected to unnecessary pressure. My comment about a Pakistan player’s hometown was only meant to highlight the challenges she faced and her incredible journey. It is part of the storytelling we do as commentators. I did that today for two other players as well. Please don’t politicise it,” she wrote.
It’s unfortunate how things are being blown out of proportion and people in sports are being subjected to unnecessary pressure. It is sad that this requires an explanation at public level.
— Sana Mir ثناء میر (@mir_sana05) October 2, 2025
My comment about a Pakistan player’s hometown was only meant to highlight the challenges… pic.twitter.com/G722fLj17C
She stressed that her words carried no political agenda. “As a commentator on the World Feed, we are meant to focus on the sport, teams, and players, highlighting inspiring stories of grit and perseverance. There is no malice in my heart or any intention to hurt sentiments,” Mir added.
The former captain also posted a screenshot of CricInfo, where she researched players’ backgrounds before the site updated Pervaiz’s profile.
Mir, who captained Pakistan to historic wins and later became an ICC Hall of Fame inductee, urged everyone to let cricket remain a unifying sport.
She reminded fans that commentators have to tell stories of players’ journeys and struggles.