Despite facing criticism for her on-air comments regarding "Azad Kashmir," former Pakistan captain Sana Mir remained on the commentary panel for the highly anticipated Women's World Cup 2025 match between India and Pakistan on Sunday. The match, held at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo, proceeded with Mir as part of the broadcast team, despite calls for her removal.
The controversy arose during Pakistan's opening match against Bangladesh when Mir, while discussing Pakistani batter Natalia Pervaiz, stated, "Natalia, who comes from Kashmir, Azad Kashmir, plays a lot of cricket in Lahore. She has to come to Lahore to play most of her cricket there". This remark sparked immediate reactions on social media, with many Indian fans and others tagging the International Cricket Council (ICC) and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), accusing Mir of politicizing the broadcast and demanding her removal. Critics argued that her choice of words was a deliberate attempt to use politically sensitive language, while others defended her right to provide context to the player's background.
Mir, a celebrated figure in Pakistan cricket and the first female cricketer from the country to be inducted into the ICC Hall of Fame, responded to the backlash by issuing a clarification on social media. She stated that her comments were not intended to cause harm or hurt sentiments and that the situation was being "blown out of proportion". Mir explained that her intention was to highlight the challenges faced by players from certain regions in Pakistan and to share their inspiring journeys.
In her clarification, Mir emphasized that as a commentator for the World Feed, her role is to focus on the sport, teams, and players, while highlighting stories of perseverance. She also shared a screenshot from Natalia Pervaiz's ESPNcricinfo profile, which initially listed her hometown as "Azad Jammu and Kashmir". The profile has since been updated to reflect "Pakistan-administered Kashmir". Mir stated that she relies on such sources for player information and research.
The incident occurred against a backdrop of heightened tensions between India and Pakistan, which have recently extended to the cricket field. Some reports suggest that the Indian men's cricket team refused to shake hands with the Pakistani team at the Asia Cup 2025.
Despite the controversy, the ICC has not issued any official statement regarding the matter. Sana Mir's continued presence on the commentary panel for the India-Pakistan match suggests that the ICC accepted her explanation and did not deem her comments a breach of conduct. The match proceeded as scheduled, with Mir providing commentary alongside other members of the broadcast team.
