Former Pakistan women’s captain Sana Mir addressed the backlash over her commentary during the Women’s World Cup 2025 match between Pakistan and Bangladesh at Colombo’s R Premadasa Stadium. On air, Mir referred to cricketer Natalia Pervaiz as being from “Azaad Kashmir,” initially saying “Kashmir” before correcting herself.
The comment quickly went viral, prompting fans to tag ICC and chairman Jay Shah, calling for Mir’s removal from the commentary panel.
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Taking to X (formerly Twitter), the 39-year-old stated that her remarks were blown out of proportion. She emphasised she had no political intentions and that her comment was simply to highlight the challenges Natalia faced in her cricket journey.
Mir urged fans to focus on the sport rather than politicise commentary, explaining that similar stories were shared for players from other regions as part of her storytelling.
In the match, Bangladesh defeated Pakistan by seven wickets, while the controversy echoes previous tensions, including the Men’s Asia Cup handshake incident between India and Pakistan players.
