No intention to hurt sentiments: Sana Mir clarifies ‘Azad Kashmir’ comment after backlash

The 2025 Women’s ODI World Cup clash between Pakistan and Bangladesh on Thursday stirred controversy after former Pakistan captain Sana Mir referred to batter Natalia Pervaiz as being from “Kashmir,” later clarifying it as “Azad Kashmir.”

The remark triggered sharp reactions across social media, prompting Sana to issue a clarification on her social media account. She stressed that her comment carried no ill intent.

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“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.

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,” wrote Sana.

To support her point, she also shared a screenshot from espncricinfo, which had listed Natalia’s hometown as “Azad Kashmir.” Following the backlash, the portal updated it to “Pakistan-administered Kashmir.”

“I am also attaching the screen shot 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,” she further stated.

On the field, Pakistan endured a disappointing start to their campaign, going down by seven wickets to Bangladesh in Colombo. The team will next take on arch-rivals and tournament hosts India at the R Premadasa Stadium on Sunday.