Sana Mir Retained In India-Pakistan Commentary Panel Despite 'Azad Kashmir' Row At Women's World Cup

Former Pakistan captain Sana Mir remained a part of the commentary panel for the Women's World Cup 2025 match between India and Pakistan despite facing a lot of criticism over the 'Azad Kashmir' row. Mir came under a lot of fire for her comments during Pakistan's tournament opener against Bangladesh. The ex-Pakistan cricketer, while speaking about batter Natalia Pervaiz's background, said - “…captaining a very young side. Yes, they have won the qualifiers, but a lot of these players are new. Natalia, who comes from Kashmir, Azad Kashmir, plays in Lahore a lot of cricket. She has to come to Lahore to play most of her cricket there." The mention of 'Azad Kashmir' did not go down well with fans and several social media users urged International Cricket Council (ICC) to drop her from the commentary panel.

However, the ICC did not take any such decision and she was in commentary for the match on Sunday. Mir took to social media to issue a clarification on her statement.

"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," Mir posted on X.

"My comment about a Pakistan player's hometown was only meant to highlight the challenges she faced of coming from a certain region in Pakistan and her incredible journey. It is part of the story telling we do as commentators as where the players come from. I did that today for two other players coming from other regions, too. Please don't politicise it. 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."

"I am also attaching the screenshot of where I research most of my players from, whether from Pakistan or any other country. I realise that they have changed it by now, but this is what I was referring to."

Topics mentioned in this article

Sana Mir India Women Pakistan Women Women's ODI World Cup 2025 Cricket