‘This Player Is From Azad…’: Ex-Pak Captain Sana Mir Clarifies After Backlash Over PoK Remark

Former Pakistan women’s team captain and commentator Sana Mir has issued a clarification after her on-air reference to “Azad Kashmir” during the Women’s ODI World Cup sparked a massive backlash on social media. While commentating during the Pakistan vs Bangladesh match on Thursday, Mir described player Natalia Pervaiz as hailing from “Azad Kashmir,” a term Pakistan uses for the part of Kashmir it illegally occupies, which India refers to as Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (PoK).The comment, “Natalia, who comes from Kashmir, Azad Kashmir, plays in Lahore, a lot of cricket,” immediately drew the ire of Indian cricket fans.

Social media was flooded with posts calling out the commentator for using the term on a live world feed broadcast from India, with many demanding action from the ICC and BCCI.In response to the uproar, Mir took to social media late on Thursday to defend her statement, asserting it was not political and had been blown out of proportion.

She explained that her comment was purely part of storytelling, aimed at highlighting the challenges the player faced on her journey to the national team. “My comment about a Pakistan player’s hometown was only meant to highlight the challenges she faced coming from a certain region in Pakistan and her incredible journey,” Mir wrote.

She further stated that she had researched the player’s background on ESPNcricinfo and attached a screenshot of the player’s profile which, at the time, listed “Azad Kashmir” as her hometown. “It is sad that this requires an explanation at the public level,” she added, lamenting that sports was being politicised unnecessarily.The incident comes at a time of heightened tensions in India-Pakistan cricketing relations, following the Pahalgam terror attack and India’s subsequent ‘Operation Sindoor’.

The Indian men’s team recently refused to shake hands with their Pakistani counterparts and declined to accept the Asia Cup trophy from PCB chief Mohsin Naqvi. A similar line is expected to be followed by the Indian women’s team when they face Pakistan in their World Cup clash on Sunday.